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01 Jul 22. Competition to replace Bradley vehicles enters design, prototype phase.
The U.S. Army has opened up the competition to design and build prototypes for its Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle replacement, releasing a request for proposals to industry July 1 on the government contracting website Sam.gov.
The details of the RFP covering both a detailed design (phase 3) and prototyping (phase 4) are not yet publicly available.
Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, the Army’s program executive officer for ground combat systems, offered some insight into what will likely be required for the design of the vehicle at the Eurosatory defense trade show last month in Paris.
The requirements approach taken for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, “is fundamentally different” than those taken in the past, he said.
The Army awarded contracts last year to five teams to develop preliminary designs: Point Blank Enterprises, Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and American Rheinmetall Vehicles.
Starting out with nine characteristics, industry teams have been coming up with design options over the course of the past 12 months and have continuously revised them.
The Army has been through several revisions that “have resulted in a slightly greater level of detail but, frankly, we’re not done,” Dean said.
The requirements in the RFP are not considered final because of the continued design efforts that will go on in the third phase of the program.
At the highest level, the Army wants a tracked vehicle that is considered “medium-weight” – between 40 and 50 tons – that has at least a 30mm cannon with an objective requirement of a 50mm gun, Dean said.
The vehicle would accommodate a two-person crew with six dismounted infantry, balanced with a greater application of autonomy on the platform, he said. The entire platform will be built using a modular open systems architecture.
“That’s mandatory and key because we see that as our growth for the future,” according to Dean.
The Army wants a “silent watch” and “silent mobility” capability, meaning the vehicle can move with the engine off, which translates to a need for a hybrid-electric solution, Dean said. All five teams designed a hybrid-electric vehicle during the last phase.
Reducing the logistics footprint for the vehicle is also important, something a hybrid drive capability could help accomplish, he noted.
The competition is full and open and the plan is to select up to three teams to participate in the detailed design phase followed by the prototyping phase. Written proposals are due in 120 days.
“During the next two phases, the Army will conduct activities to mature OMFV designs and will verify prototype performance during test activities, to include a Limited User Test,” the Army said in a July 1 statement.
The detailed design phase will take place in fiscal 2023 and 2024 and the prototyping phase will begin in 2025. The Army plans to choose three teams in the third quarter of FY23 to build up to 11 prototype vehicles, two ballistic hulls and turrets, armor coupons and provide digital engineering data, the Army statement notes.
The Army expects to select in the fourth quarter of 2027 one company to build low-rate production vehicles. The first unit equipped is planned for FY29 and full rate production is expected to begin in 2030.
The OMFV competitive approach has changed drastically from nearly three years ago, when the Army required physical bid samples to enter the competition. The Army received just one physical bid sample from GDLS by its set deadline in October 2019. Defense News broke the news that the only other entry — the Lynx 41 from a Rheinmetall and Raytheon team — was disqualified because it wasn’t delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on time.
The writing was already on the wall that the OMFV’s development schedule and requirements had doomed the program when BAE Systems, which manufactures the Bradley, bowed out of the competition months before the deadline.
Instead of moving forward with just one option, the Army canceled its OMFV competition, and took a step back to come up with a plan that would better foster a robust competition over a more reasonable timeline.
The Army dropped the plan to require a physical bid sample at the outset and instead mapped out a five-phased effort that begins with an initial design phase then moves into a detailed design phase, followed by prototyping, testing and production.
(Source: Defense News)
01 Jul 22. Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, announced today that the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal has placed a $216m order for 513 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) and 1,152 trailers (JLTV-T) for the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and the Armed Forces of Montenegro, Brazil, and Lithuania.
Today’s announcement comes just a month before the follow-on contract proposals are due. The contract calls for more than 15,000 additional vehicles over five order years followed by five option years, extending the associated production through 2034. The contract is expected to be awarded during the first quarter of 2023.
“Seven years ago, we assembled a world-class team of experts in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain management, and operations, and delivered a winning JLTV solution to the U.S. military,” said George Mansfield, Vice President and General Manager of Joint Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Today, we have an experienced workforce, a refined manufacturing process, and a mature, robust supply chain. No one else can say that. We are committed to delivering the best protected mobility vehicle for years to come.”
To date, Oshkosh Defense has also built almost 17,000 vehicles and delivered them to over 50 locations worldwide.
29 June 22. Taiwan outlines CM-34 infantry fighting vehicle production.
Production of the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) variants of the 8×8 Yunpao (Clouded Leopard) armoured vehicle family is proceeding at pace, with the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) Armaments Bureau’s 209th Arsenal producing six CM-34 vehicles every month.
The Armaments Bureau told media at a demonstration in mid-June that 305 CM-34 IFVs are on order for the Republic of China Army (RoCA), with 173 vehicles delivered since production commenced at the 209th Arsenal’s production facility in the central township of Jiji in late 2019.
The CM-34 IFV is based on the common 6.35 m long, 2.7 m wide, and 2.2 m steel hull that is also used by the CM-32 and CM-33 Clouded Leopard armoured personnel carriers (APCs), although the IFV variant has a higher combat weight of 24 tonnes – two tonnes heavier than its counterparts – and can only carry up to six dismounts as opposed to eight due to the penetration of the two-person armoured turret.
The IFV’s main armament centres on the stabilised Orbital ATK Mk 44 Bushmaster II 30 mm dual-feed autocannon with secondary armament comprising a 7.62 mm co-axial gun and roof-mounted T74 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun. The turret itself is developed by the state-run National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) and is capable of day- and night-time engagements.
It was earlier announced in July 2021 that the Armaments Bureau’s munitions specialist, the 202nd Arsenal, won a NT$14 million contract to produce 30 mm armour-piercing rounds for the new IFV.
The agency also earmarked NT$768 million to develop a new direct fire support variant of the Clouded Leopard armed with a 105 mm rifled gun. Local media reported that prototyping work on the fire support vehicle will be completed by the end of 2023.
Other Clouded Leopard variants being developed by the 209th Arsenal include a self-propelled mortar vehicle equipped with the 81/120 mm Mobile Mortar System developed by the 202th Arsenal.
The MND also showcased the M2 prototype of the next-generation 8×8 Clouded Leopard II armoured vehicle development in public for the first time at the 2019 edition of the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition.
The prototype is the second of two Clouded Leopard II development testbeds built by the 209th Arsenal at the in partnership with the Hsinchu-based Industrial Technology Research Institute. Both vehicles have been in trials since 2017. A key feature of the new vehicle is its hydropneumatic suspension system, which replaces the double wishbone suspension of the current CM-32 and CM-33 APCs and improves overall ride quality and responsiveness. (Source: AMR)
01 Jul 22. Large enterprises, forced to innovate by supply chain disruption, see costs and complexity ramp up.
- 66% of such organisations globally keeping more stock on hand; 70% increasing supplier numbers and 72% sourcing more from domestic suppliers
Two-thirds (66%) of large enterprises globally say they are keeping more stock on hand now compared to the pre-pandemic period, with nearly one in five in total (18%) retaining “significantly more” stock. This growing focus on taking innovative measures to address supply chain disruption is highlighted in new research commissioned by IFS, polling over 1,450 senior decision-makers at large enterprises across France, Germany, Nordics, USA, the UK and the UAE.
Further highlighting the impact of supply chain disruption, seven out of ten respondents polled for the survey (70%) said they had increased the number of suppliers of materials/products they use in response to recent supply chain issues. Moreover, nearly three-quarters (72%) of the survey sample claimed to have grown the proportion of materials/products they source from domestic suppliers as a result of these issues.
Together, these innovative measures are also likely to add more complexity and waste into the supply chain, at a time when increased regulatory burdens (highlighted by 15% as a primary contributor to their current business disruption) and the need to tap into the many benefits of the circular economy is making supply chain management more complex. In line with this, it is positive that 93% of respondents said their organisation was either embracing the circular economy today or planning to in the future.
However, many are facing challenges in terms of delivering on their goals, with around 60% of those saying they are in the process, still developing objectives, yet to plan programmes, or have their objectives on hold. Even among those respondents already embracing the circular economy, 23% felt their customers’ circularity expectations were either having no impact on the customer experience or were detrimental to it, although over time the benefits of circularity in delivering a better customer experience are likely to become ever clearer.
So far, as the survey indicates, many large enterprises have re-engineered their supply chain in innovative ways to reduce the risk of this disruption. These include, onshoring to improve security of supply; keeping more stock on hand to make certain they can always meet demand and increasing the number of suppliers they use to eliminate any chance of disappointing customers.
Maggie Slowik, Global Industry Director for Manufacturing at IFS, said: “Large businesses are likely to incur much higher costs and other negative financial impacts because of the measures they are taking to mitigate disruption. Onshoring the supply chain will often lead to having to invest in more expensive raw materials or product components, especially as inflation ramps up, while keeping stock on hand will tie up significant sums that could otherwise be ‘working’ for the business.”
Despite the far-reaching benefits of the circular economy, the need to embrace it is nevertheless a source of disruption for many large enterprises—especially if their equipment and processes are not set up to deal with waste reduction and the re-use and recycling of materials. That’s particularly the case when you factor in the other macro-economic disruption that businesses are continuing to face, from COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, the survey reveals many large businesses are suffering from talent shortages. 65% of respondents say their organisations are finding it challenging to fill open roles, (with a lack of qualified applicants and skilled talent being the most prevalent reasons why), and 39% think disruption relating to skills shortages within their organisation will last beyond the end of 2022.
According to Slowik: “Businesses urgently need to find a solution that can help them to manage this disruption, which with price volatility is escalating ever further, transition to a circular economy and address the supply chain complexities we are dealing with today. To do this, especially when skills are in short supply, they will ultimately need to invest in technology that delivers the agility and fast time to insight that they need to better forecast demand. By addressing it now, efficiently and cost-effectively, they will put themselves in a great position to not only survive but also thrive long into the future.”
28 June 22. General Dynamics wins $1.14bn Mobile Protected Firepower contract. The Mobile Protected Firepower program, a light tank for infantry brigades, is one of the Army’s top modernization priorities and the service’s first new design vehicle in 40 years.
The US Army is awarding a $1.14bn contract to General Dynamics Land Systems for its Mobile Protected Firepower program, the Army announced today, marking a significant milestone for one of the Army’s top 35 modernization priorities.
The Mobile Protected Firepower vehicle, which will be the Army’s first new designed vehicle in over 40 years, will provide the Army’s infantry brigades with a light tank for directing firepower against enemy positions and bunkers on the battlefield. GDLS beat out BAE Systems.
“This is our first big major platform that’s going from prototyping to production,” Doug Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, told reporters on a media roundtable ahead of the announcement.
Under the contract, GDLS will be on the hook for 96 vehicles. The Army will buy 26 MPFs in the first lot, according to Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer for ground combat systems.
Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, called the milestone a “big day” and an “additive capability” that fills a current gap for infantry units.
“The answer is in the name. It’ll gives the light infantry units a mobile, protected firepower that … can remove impediments on the battlefield to ensure our infantry women and men make it to the objective,” Coffman told reporters.
The Mobile Protected Firepower program is part of the Army’s Next-Generation Combat Vehicle portfolio, which is developing future ground vehicles as part of the services’ broader, multi-bn modernization effort that includes the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.
The Army’s stated acquisition objective for the program is 504 vehicles. The first production vehicle will be delivered in “just under” 19 months, Dean said, a timetable that roughly hits around December 2023. That timeline is driven in part by the time it takes to get long-lead time parts, Dean said.
Moving into production, the Army and GDLS will have to be diligent to avoid supply chain issues as production ramps up. Dean said the program was already experiencing “challenges” in the supply base.
“We are seeing challenges in the supply base right now both in cost and availability [of] materials, as well as competition for other components, particularly in the electronic space where electronic chips are in big demand,” Dean said, adding the Army had “some comfort” because the proposals had “reasonable control” over their supply chain.
The first unit equipped milestone is on schedule for the fourth quarter of FY25, the Army officials said, with the initial requirement is one battalion of vehicles. Dean said one battalion is 42 vehicles.
The Army plans to field four battalions by 2030 with the “bulk” of the procurement fielded by 2035, Dean said. He added that the program had a total lifecycle cost of $17 bn across a 30-year lifespan.
The Army has had serious trouble with acquisition processes for new platforms in the past, including OMFV, currently on its third attempt to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Overall, Army leaders told reporters that they were satisfied with how the competition shook out.
“This achieved everything we were intending to. We had two vendors. They were competitive,” Dean said.
The Army’s fiscal 2023 budget request asked Congress for $356.7m in procurement funds for 28 light tanks.
BAE and General Dynamics Land Systems were chosen by the Army in 2018 through a Middle-Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping contract worth up to $376 m each, with both contractors required to build 12 prototypes.
A soldier vehicle assessment began in January 2021 at Fort Bragg and ran for a year. BAE reportedly struggled to get its prototypes to North Carolina on time, but eventually its vehicle did make it. Still, Janes reported in March that BAE Systems had been eliminated from the competition. Bush said that the Army would formally name the vehicles around the Association of the US Army conference in October. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
28 June 22. Slovakia Selects BAE Systems’ CV90 for New Combat Vehicle. Slovakia has selected the CV90MkIV as its new Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). The joint bid from the Government of Sweden and BAE Systems was filed earlier this year by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and BAE Systems Hägglunds. Following the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic’s feasibility report last month, the CV90 was placed in both first and second position (in two different turret variants) when measured against all requirements for the IFV program. Negotiations will now begin to finalize a production contract before the end of the year.
With the CV90MkIV, the Slovak Army will acquire the most advanced CV90 available. Together with Slovak industry, BAE Systems is prepared to deliver the program on time and on budget. Slovakia’s requirements call for multiple variants of the CV90MkIV, including several turreted versions and both engineer and recovery vehicles. The program also includes training and education, tactics, and future vehicle development. This selection brings Slovakia into the CV90 User Club, which currently consists of seven countries, including four members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“The joint Swedish FMV and BAE Systems team confirms the Swedish government’s support for Slovakia and further strengthens government-to-government relations,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. “Our approach is built on strategic collaboration with local Slovak suppliers, enabling them to play a high-value role throughout the production and lifecycle of the CV90 and all its variants.”
BAE Systems Hägglunds has delivered multiple CV90 export programs to European and NATO customers and has a strong track record of highly successful industrial cooperation that goes beyond the mechanical assembly of the vehicles. By working with local Slovak industry across all aspects of the contract, BAE Systems will ensure a significant level of collaboration during production to support defense industrial cooperation, jobs, and economic growth. BAE Systems is committed to exceeding the mandated requirement for Slovak content and to work closely with the country’s industry to deliver the most capable IFV on the market today.
The CV90 is available in 15 variants and designed to provide optimum mobility, with the highest level of protection in any terrain or tactical environment. The CV90MkIV combines improved battlefield speeds and handling with an upgraded electronic architecture to support future growth capabilities as the complex battlefield evolves.
Today, there are nearly 1,300 CV90s in operation in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
27 June 22. Jankel and Oshkosh Defense sign UK teaming agreement. Jankel, a British world-leader in the design, integration, manufacture, and support of high-specification defence systems, has signed a teaming agreement with the US defence company Oshkosh Defense to harness the joint capabilities and strengths of both companies for the UK defence market. The collaboration has been specifically formed to lead a UK based team of subject matter experts that delivers the Oshkosh JLTV vehicle to meet crucial protected mobility requirements of the British Armed Forces.
Oshkosh and Jankel are ideally suited to work together – bringing the global market presence, extensive portfolio of past performance, and cutting-edge technology of Oshkosh together with the flexibility, pedigree, and UK customer focus of Jankel. This agreement sees the initiation of a dynamic team of Britain’s leading experts in vehicle design, integration, support, and project delivery with significant experience in repeatedly solving UK specific defence vehicle related challenges.
The teaming agreement not only ensures that the UK Armed Forces get access to the world leading Oshkosh Defense JLTV to meet future Protected Mobility requirements, but it also unleashes the potential of UK defence industry and delivers on the recently launched Land Industrial Strategy (LIS). By procuring the JLTV through this newly formed team, the UK MoD maintains the economies of scale offered by the sizeable US JLTV programme whilst also leveraging local manufacture, design, integration, on-shore SME supply chain, and through life support capabilities.
John Lazar, Oshkosh Defense Vice President & General Manager, International Programs said: “We have been providing vehicles and support to the UK MOD for over 20 years. Our collaboration with Jankel leverages the successful innovation of UK industry to provide the UK Armed Forces the enduring capabilities required for the modern battlefield.”
Andrew Jankel, Chairman at Jankel said: “Jankel has been providing protected vehicles to the British Forces for many years and we are extremely excited to be teaming with Oshkosh Defense, working together to provide innovative solutions to meet the UK’s defence equipment challenges. This partnership allows us to deliver an enduring multi-year programme with an agile UK team.” He added, “Looking ahead, this partnership supports our long-term strategy to develop a UK based centre of excellence that integrates the best of British technology and innovation into world-leading vehicle platforms.”
27 June 22. Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and Michelin launch cooperation agreement. Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) and French tyre manufacturer Michelin have entered into a mutual agreement on closer cooperation in the domains of defense vehicles mobility. In order to honour this next level of collaboration, RMMV and Michelin have officially signed the agreement at Michelin’s booth at Eurosatory 2022 exhibition in Paris. The companies were represented by Michael Wittlinger, Chief Executive Officer Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, and Bénédicte De Bonnechose, Executive Vice President, Michelin Long-Distance and Urban Transportation, Europe Regions.
Motivated by the same values and desire to innovate in their respective areas of expertise, both companies are looking to further discuss opportunities and developing solutions that aim to respond to customers’ expectations. Exchange of customer experiences and coordinated development of tyres and other systems may be part of future common projects.
“This agreement is an important step in paving the way for a more active and diversified collaboration”, said Michael Wittlinger. “Working with Michelin has proven fruitful for a long period of time. Now, we are happy to take the next step together towards deepening the existing bonds.”
Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles is one of the world’s leading providers of defence solutions in the field of logistic land mobility. Together with its predecessor companies, the joint venture of Rheinmetall AG and MAN Truck & Bus AG builds on a history of more than 100 years of engineering and production of military, militarised and commercial trucks. The HX family of tactical trucks is RMMV´s combat-proven flagship; over 15,000 4×4 to 10×10 models in various configurations currently serve 20 nations worldwide. High-quality standards, unique truck know-how, and industry-leading innovation build the foundation for a strong global market presence.
As one of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world, Michelin develops high-tech products and digital services for the mobility of people and goods of tomorrow. The company is present in 171 countries with around 114,000 employees. Michelin has been rooted in Germany for over 100 years and produces at five locations.
25 June 22. Vehicle makers court Europe’s militaries with hybrid, electric rides. In the past, military vehicles just needed to roll; now, they must come equipped with complex communications systems, radars, lasers, jammers, and other electronic systems, turning battlefield rides into mobile power stations. European vehicle makers have been quick to jump on the business case for electric propulsion, offering products that promise to satisfy militaries’ needs for more efficient energy storage, quieter motors and lower thermal signatures. Last week, they showed their latest and greatest tech on the floor of the biennial Eurosatory trade conference, held outside Paris.
But while the civilian vehicle world has successfully deployed hybrid and electric cars onto city streets, the defense sector, now able to take advantage of those civilian technological advances, is just getting started.
Industry leaders who spoke to Defense News shared how the rhetoric around hybrid and all-electric powered vehicles, particularly tactical vehicles, has shifted in the past few years, as nations balance increasingly augmented energy needs against equally rising fuel prices, and tackle the effects of climate change within their services.
Nexter has been working on hybrid technologies for about 20 years now, per Sebastien Roy, Nexter’s energy research and technology leader. The French company developed an initial hybrid demonstrator around 2003-2004, not in response to a specific requirement, but merely to begin evaluating the technology, Roy said in an interview at Nexter’s pavilion at the conference.
Since then, the company has been able to take advantage of the new hybrid propulsion technologies being developed in the civil vehicle industry – some of which are more compact and capable, especially when it comes to batteries. “It’s really those technological evolutions in the civil world that have allowed us to say, ‘Okay, we will soon be able to integrate them into military vehicles,’” Roy said.
The rhetoric around electric and hybrid tactical vehicles at the Parc des Expositions here was much louder than what was heard at the same show four years ago. Demonstrators were spread across the corners of the show floor, from Arquus’ Scarabee light armored vehicle with a fully hybrid powertrain, to FFG’s bright blue Genesis 8×8 armored personnel carrier.
The German company – which stands for Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft – developed the Genesis demonstrator purely to examine the possibilities of a hybrid system on a tank, said Michael Moller, company vice president for special technology.
Engineers wanted to “have the knowledge, to be … a very early one on the market to know how to handle this technology, high-voltage systems, how to build it, to maintain it,” he told Defense News at the company’s booth at the show. The Genesis was developed five years ago, and debuted at an FFG event in 2021, he added.
French company Texelis displayed a full-scale model of its MR400 4×4 armored vehicle at its booth, which features a new in-wheel, electric-hub drive developed by Texelis and U.K.-based Qinetiq.
The MR400 is derived from Texelis’ vehicle design for the French army’s VBMR Serval multi-role vehicle program, for which the company – which was part of the Volvo Group until 2008 – and Nexter are co-prime contractors.
When the Serval design was being developed four years ago, Texelis was already thinking about integrating a hybrid propulsion system, said Sebastien Guillon, the company’s export sales director. While that requirement has not yet been asked for, talks are ongoing, and Texelis is “already thinking about what the configuration will be,” he told Defense News at the conference. “What we understood is that it should be something very quick” to integrate and install onto a future Serval vehicle, he added.
Meanwhile, General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) introduced a fully electric version of its DURO 4×4 all-terrain tactical vehicle at the conference.
The DURO-e, as it has been named, features a variable powertrain that includes a diesel engine and a pure electric powertrain that comes in either a battery-powered or fuel cell-powered version, along with capabilities including silent drive, boost, and extended silent watch, per the company. The DURO-e claims a low heat and noise signature, along with high-energy efficiency and self-sufficient energy supply.
General Dynamics partnered with Austria-based Magna Powertrain Engineering Center-Steyr and Switzerland-based Phi Power AG to produce DURO-e, the company said in a press release. The original DURO was designed for the Swiss army.
Rheinmetall also is evaluating hybrid and electric technologies for its future vehicles, company officials said at the show. On the sidelines of its pavilion at Eurosatory, the Rheinmetall set up a space dubbed the Technology Cube, designed to be able to discuss future vehicle requirements with current and future customers. Delegations could be seen moving in and out of the space, including senior leaders of the Hungarian army, which committed to procuring Rheinmetall’s Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.
The French army’s hybrid future
The French ministry of defense has particularly focused on finding solutions for more efficient energy storage as military vehicles are increasingly used for more electronic capabilities, such as communications systems, lasers, radars, and jammers.
Former Minister of Defense Florence Parly oversaw the release of the ministry’s first defense and energy strategy in 2020, and several months ago released the first defense and climate change strategy. The recommendations in those documents include a hybrid vehicle demonstrator based on the Griffon light armored vehicle, meant to complete testing by 2025 and inform future hybrid truck requirements.
Arquus, Nexter, and Thales are jointly developing the hybrid demonstrator, and the team is undergoing testing, evaluation, and integration efforts that will help the ministry of defense decide whether to launch large-scale production, according to an Arquus spokesperson.
The French army’s future program to build a new armored engagement support vehicle – called VBAE, for Véhicule Blindé d’Aide à l’Engagement – may include a requirement for hybrid propulsion. Arquus has pitched a hybrid light armored vehicle, likely based on its Scarabee light reconnaissance vehicle, in anticipation of that requirement, the spokesperson said. The Scarabee vehicle debuted in 2018, and was developed to respond to what Arquus thought could be the VBAE requirements, and to reflect the company’s vision of what a next-generation reconnaissance vehicle could look like, they noted.
Nexter, which has employed hybrid propulsion on its robotic systems already, is also exploring the technology for its own submission to the VBAE program, Roy said. It expects to have a demonstrator ready around 2025.
SOFRAME, a subsidiary of the French Lohr Group, revealed last year its planned submission for the VBAE program, which will also be designed to integrate a full electric or hybrid propulsion mode, according to French reports.
The future Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) tank in development by France and Germany may also feature some hybrid propulsion technology. KNDS, the joint holding company that includes Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegman and France’s Nexter, is developing the next-generation vehicle that is expected to be fielded around 2035. Arquus is a subcontractor on that program.
Outstanding issues
One ongoing challenge relates to the cooling system of a hybrid vehicle, which makes it difficult to integrate hybrid propulsion into military applications, Nexter’s Roy noted. But as this technology matures in the civilian world, Nexter imagines being able to overcome this problem in the near future.
Energy storage also remains a challenge. “Batteries are changing very fast,” said FFG’s Moller. Developing batteries that have better performance and are lighter and more easily replaceable will be key moving forward, he added.
Some stakeholders noted that the market for hybrid military vehicles remains limited. The demonstrators on the Eurosatory show floor were overwhelmingly tactical vehicles, and officials may not be ready to expand their interest in hybrid technologies beyond those capabilities, industry leaders noted.
Sweden’s Volvo has been developing hybrid and electric vehicles for nearly two decades now, primarily to serve its customers in the civilian sector. Its defense subsidiary focuses on heavy vehicles such as logistics trucks that drive over extended distances.
So far, while officials are expressing interest in alternative fuel solutions, there has been little demonstrable effort to actually “hybridize” those types of vehicles for the military, Andreas Svenungsson, head of Volvo Defense, told Defense News at the company’s booth at Eurosatory.
For now, tactical vehicles appear to have the best use case scenario for hybrid or electric propulsion vehicles, due to the operational benefits of quieter motors and lower thermal signatures, he noted. But for the vehicles Volvo produces, “We have not seen it [hybrid or electric propulsion] in the tenders or the requirements so far,” Svenungsson said. He noted that military programs have the added considerations of maintaining a secure supply chain and steady access to fuel, that remain challenges for the hybridization of ground vehicles.
But thanks to Volvo’s ongoing electric and hybrid propulsion efforts for civilian trucks and buses, “If they want to procure this for the defense segment, we are ready,” he added.
It was clear to these companies that the drumbeat for hybrid military vehicles is only getting louder.
Years ago, officials were talking about the possibility of hybrid vehicles, but without any “real requirements,” noted Texelis’ Guillon. “Now, I think they have a clear vision,” spurred by environmental targets or the need for “silent mode” capabilities and energy storage. “It will help us, because the way we want to develop something, it should be useful for the customer, and not just be hybrid by name.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
24 June 22. South Korea develops robot for autonomous tunnel exploration. South Korea’s arms development agency has completed its application research on robotic technology for autonomous tunnel exploration.
The Agency for Defense Development announced June 21 that research for the Autonomous Tunnel Exploration Robot was conducted over the past three years in collaboration with the Ground Vehicle System Center, which is part of the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command.
“Both institutions from South Korea and the United States have applied common middleware, interface, and data formats in this research to help establish joint robot-based operational capabilities,” the agency said in a news release, noting that both sides developed their own robot systems and related software.
South Korea’s arms development agency has completed its application research on robotic technology for autonomous tunnel exploration. (Courtesy of South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development)
Through its own research and development, the agency designed and produced a modular robot in cooperation with Hanwha Defense, a local defense contractor. The robot can explore underground tunnels without topographic information, detecting risks and generating a 3D map of the exploration area, according to the agency. It can also receive modifications to perform different missions, and it is equipped with artificial intelligence-based software for recognition, judgement and exploration functions.
In addition, a single operator can control the robot remotely with a mobile phone or tablet, allowing the user to wield multiple systems at once.
“Even in caves and underground facilities where GPS signals cannot be received, a robot with ATE [autonomous tunnel exploration] technology is able to conduct autonomous driving and explore areas without prior information,” the agency said.
During the application research, a prototype robot succeeded in exploring a 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) cave by recognizing various types of dangerous objects, detecting contaminated areas and creating a high-resolution 3D map, it added.
The agency plans to use the technology for systems development over the next decade. On its website, the agency describes “future battlefields” where the platform would carry out reconnaissance missions to caves and hazardous facilities, instead of a human doing so.
South Korea and North Korea technically remain at war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. In the 1970s, four underground tunnels verified as North Korean networks were found along the inter-Korean border, without a new find since.
“Once deployed in the field, the ATE robot will conduct missions to secure the safety of combatants during underground operations and urban warfare and increase operational efficiency to an extent,” an agency spokesman said. “In the private sector, the robot can be deployed to places difficult to access, such as disaster sites and nuclear power plant facilities.” (Source: Defense News)
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TEK Military Seating Limited
TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.
From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.
Contact: David Parkman
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