• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Defence Engage
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2023

ARMOURED VEHICLE STUDY

December 15, 2010 by

ARMOURED VEHICLE STUDY TURNS SCI-FI TO SCI-FACT

16 Dec 10. A vehicle which can “sweat” to improve stealth was among hundreds of ideas presented to the UK Ministry of Defence from a BAE Systems study designed to show them the future.

The Future Protected Vehicle programme aims to highlight both short and long-term technologies and concepts which can be used to boost the effectiveness of lightweight armoured vehicles.

The numbers give an idea of the scale of the programme: 567 technologies and 244 vehicle concepts were investigated following engagement with 35 organisations.

From this array of concepts, the team subsequently developed seven concept vehicles, each highlighting technologies which could support a particular specialisation. No fewer than 47 of the technologies were identified as being suitable for immediate pursuit.

The BAE Systems team made a point of gathering ideas from as wide a spectrum as possible, including academe and industry. A series of “Dragons’ Den” style panels identified ideas for further study, funded out of the £2 million DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) contract.

The team even engaged Shanklea Primary School near Newcastle where pupils were invited to participate in design classes to stimulate interest in engineering as a career.

The study was managed for the MoD by DSTL. Its land strategy lead John Hunt commented: “I was very impressed by the work. Not just by the outputs, but also the inclusivity with which the study was carried out and the robust systems engineering methodology underpinning it.”

“The ‘quick wins’ element was particularly pleasing as support to current operations is vital,” Hunt added.

Hisham Awad, who works on emerging technologies for BAE System’s Vehicles business, commented: “BAE Systems has signalled intent for future armoured vehicles programmes by bidding and winning the research contracts that enable bright ideas to become new innovative and highly capable vehicles.”

The team already has a contract extension to do further work and will bid for the next phase virtual prototyping work. The MoD intends that building a vehicle demonstrator will begin in 2014.

The seven concept vehicles were:
* Pointer:– an agile robot which can take over dirty, dull or dangerous jobs, such as forward observation to support the dismounted soldier;
* Bearer: a modular platform which can carry a range of mission payloads, such as protected mobility, air defence and ambulance;
* Wraith: a low signature scout vehicle;
* Safeguard: an ultra-utility infantry carrier or command and control centre;
* Charger: a highly lethal and survivable reconfigurable attack vehicle;
* Raider: a remotely or autonomously controlled unmanned recce and skirmishing platform; and
* Atlas: a convoy system (retrofittable if necessary) which removes the driver from harm’s way.

Ideas identified for exploitation include:
* Sweating vehicle could use water from a diesel or fuel cell propulsion system to reduce a vehicle’s thermal signature by “sweating” it out through pores in the vehicle skin. That same water could also be reclaimed to enable soldiers to stay in the field for longer.
* eCamouflage will allow a vehicle to match its camouflage to its surroundings by using electronic ink – rather like a squid.
* Integrated biometrics will ease the workload on soldiers in complex crowd situation such as roadblocks and riots by running video surveillance through facial recognition and behaviour modelling software to spot potential troublemakers.
* Active protection will intercept incoming fire or disrupt targeting mechanisms while actuated spaced armour will allow a vehicle to deploy in “compact” mode before extending its armour to provide increased stand-off distance. A version of this is envisaged as employing electro-magnetic magnets to “float” above a vehicle to provide protection from aerial threats.

Quick wins using available technology include:

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • DSEi
  • sibylline logo
  • Team Thunder logo
  • Commando Spirit - Blended Scoth Whisy
  • Comtech logo
  • GoExporting logo
  • Supercat logo
  • Galvion logo
Hilux Military Raceday Novemeber 2023 Chepstow SOF Week 2023

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

    May 26, 2023
    Read more
  • EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

    May 26, 2023
    Read more
  • MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE

    May 26, 2023
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2023.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT