Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/
————————————————————————-
14 Sep 22. Indian Army advances BMP-2 upgrade programme. The Indian Army has initiated trials to upgrade its licence-built BMP-2/2K ‘Sarath’ infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) with three local firms – Bangalore-based Tonbo Imaging, Chennai-based Big Bang Boom, and Thane-based Dimension NXG.
The Indian Army plans to upgrade its BMP-2 ICVs with see-through armour, anti-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities, thermal imager-based gunner and panoramic commander sights, a modern fire-control system, and an automatic target tracker.
Lieutenant Commander (retd) D Rajendrakumar, director of programmes at Tonbo Imaging, told Janes that one of the shortcomings of the existing BMP-2 ICVs is that it is not equipped with uncooled infrared (UIR) sensors.
“If the tanks don’t have UIR, that means they are night blind. We have about 2,000 BMP-2 ICVs in the Indian Army, which don’t have UIR. This is why we are installing see-through armour in the tanks so that they can roam around at night,” added Lt Cdr Rajendrakumar. (Source: Janes)
15 Sep 22. Further Significant Landmark Achieved in UK Boxer Armoured Vehicle Journey. Another key milestone has been achieved in the UK production of Boxer Armoured Vehicles for the British Army. WFEL has now completed the first fabricated and painted Drive Module hull complete with spall liner materials and driver’s bay insulation. This hull is now available to proceed into the second major production phase – Assembly and Integration – and will be on display during the British Army’s DVD Exhibition at Millbrook Proving Ground next week, 21-22 September.
Drive Modules are common to all Boxer vehicle variants and ultimately contain the power pack, suspension and driveline, fuel system, electrics and driver’s station.
Further Drive Module hulls are already in progress at WFEL’s Boxer facility in Stockport and, following the painting operation, will also be available for assembly before the end of September.
This exciting landmark has been achieved following an in-depth technology transfer programme completed in conjunction with KMW, who have trained and liaised closely with WFEL’s Boxer production teams over the last two years.
Andrew Munt, Boxer Programme Director at WFEL, said, “The whole WFEL team is extremely proud to have reached yet another significant milestone in our UK Boxer Armoured Vehicle manufacturing programme for the British Army”.
He continued, “While we acknowledge the achievement our team has made with this first Drive Module hull, we now look forward to the next phase of the programme: the commencement of Assembly and Integration of our first complete vehicle”.
15 Sep 22. Hydrogen Instead of Diesel. Freudenberg and ZF Friedrichshafen AG are joining forces to develop a fuel cell-based drive system for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Technology supplier Freudenberg and ZF Friedrichshafen AG have signed a long-term strategic agreement for the development of a hybrid fuel cell/battery drive system for trucks and coaches that is sustainable and emission-free. The first prototype vehicles are expected to hit the roads by 2023 at the latest, using a high-performance fuel cell/battery system that completely replaces conventional diesel drives. The start of series production is scheduled shortly thereafter.
Saying goodbye to conventional diesel trucks – and the sooner, the better: The transport industry is under political pressure to meet obligatory targets for climate protection. Vehicle manufacturers and suppliers have already initiated numerous innovative concepts in their transition to CO2 emission-free freight traffic on the roads. In 2021, Freudenberg and ZF Friedrichshafen AG had already started the “HyFleet” research project to develop a fuel cell drive for new long-distance bus platforms. Now both companies are intensifying their efforts and combining their skills for the long term as well. The goal is to develop a highly integrated hybrid fuel cell/battery drive system and the balance-of-plant (BoP) components that are critical for its functioning, specifically for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. This will initially focus on truck & bus applications, but later it can also be extended to rail and special vehicle systems – such as construction and agricultural vehicles – as well as to marine applications.
“We are investing heavily in the mobility of the future. In battery, hydrogen and fuel cell technology as well as in the development of high-tech components for electric vehicles. The long-term cooperation with ZF agreed-upon today underscores the strategic importance and growth potential that we at Freudenberg see in this sector,” explained Dr. Mohsen Sohi, CEO of the Freudenberg Group.
“Freudenberg and ZF are longstanding, experienced players in the industry and have complementary technology know-how,” adds Dr. Max Kley, CEO of Freudenberg e-Power Systems. “Through our cooperation, we’re bundling this experience to develop clean e-drive solutions and thus provide targeted support to the industry in achieving its climate goals.”
The joint development of hybrid fuel cell/battery systems by Freudenberg and ZF contributes to an innovation-driven field with high relevance for all heavy-duty applications.
“Decarbonization is a major aim of the transport industry, and within this, fuel cell technology will be a game changer. Together with Freudenberg, we can offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution enabling manufacturers to quickly bring e-mobility solutions to market and supporting the industry’s transformation towards a more sustainable future,” said Wilhelm Rehm, ZF Board Member with responsibility for Commercial Vehicle Solutions, Industrial Technology and Materials Management. “ZF’s cooperation with Freudenberg will develop highly integrated fuel cell e-drive solutions for the commercial vehicle industry. By reducing manufacturers’ development and project costs, our powerpack solutions will also help to lower the Total Cost of Ownership.”
With its fuel cell system, Freudenberg e-Power Systems relies on a modular approach that can accommodate different performance categories depending on customer and application requirements while also offering simple vehicle integration (plug&play). The focus of the development is on the lifetime and efficiency of the individual components and the respective subsystems.
The fuel cell systems on the market today were originally created for passenger cars and the corresponding load profiles. For heavy-duty applications, however, all aspects of the system must be designed for a long service life and the highest possible system efficiency. While passenger cars run for about 8,000 hours during the vehicle lifetime, trucks spend at least 35,000 hours on the road. In addition, it is particularly important to achieve the highest possible overall system efficiency – at nominal load and taking into account the BoP’s energy requirement, Freudenberg’s fuel cell experts are striving for an overall efficiency of an industry-leading 50 percent. After all, high efficiency of the entire powertrain leads to less fuel consumption, which in turn reduces the total cost of ownership.
“Our goal is to design the fuel cell battery drive system for a long service life and real-world heavy-duty profiles. This ensures that our customers benefit not only from a sustainable, emission-free solution in heavy-duty transport, it also pays off economically for them throughout the lifetime of the systems,” says Dr. Kley.
When it comes to battery and fuel cell systems, Freudenberg has a depth of value creation that is unique in the industry: The in-house production of gas diffusion layers, permeation-optimized sealing materials and catalysts forms the basis for a fully integrated membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and is the starting point for the commercial and technical competitive edge of the truck fuel cell.
“We have the complete technological understanding of the functionally critical components in-house, ranging from the raw material to the finished system,” notes Kley. “The combination of our comprehensive fuel cell expertise and our over 25 years of experience in the large-scale industrialization of the essential components enables us to play a key role in shaping the development of an entire industry in the direction of emission-free mobility.”
Since 2018, Freudenberg has already launched various cooperation projects with renowned partners to develop fuel cell systems for heavy-duty applications. Among other things, the company is a technology partner in the “Pa-X-ell2” project. The goal is to develop a new generation of fuel cells to be used for passenger ships on the open seas. In addition to Meyer Werft, the project consortium includes Lürssen Werft, the classification society DNV GL, the German Aerospace Center, AIDA Cruises represented by Carnival Maritime GmbH, besecke and EPEA GmbH.
Freudenberg also has many years of experience with battery systems in the heavy-duty sector and is among the market leaders in its target segments. Well over 60 m kilometers driven with Freudenberg’s battery systems illustrate this success. Longevity and low total cost of ownership of the systems over their lifetime are top priorities here as well. Its competence and innovative strength in both fuel cell and battery technologies distinguish Freudenberg e-Power Systems as a pioneer of electromobility in the heavy-duty sector.
14 Sep 22. American Rheinmetall Vehicles signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center. American Rheinmetall Vehicles (Sterling Heights, MI) has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC). The CRADA allows American Rheinmetall Vehicles and DEVCOM GVSC to collaborate on a regular basis to develop integrated combat vehicle suspension, track, and running gear technologies.
In addition to the defined research and development tasks, the CRADA provides a conduit for the team to explore integration of the U.S. Army’s Advanced Lightweight Track and improvements in running gear systems and configurations on platforms that are potential candidates for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program and other critical vehicle modernization programs.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles and DEVCOM GVSC will leverage their respective expertise to improve track, suspension, and running gear solutions, which may also be applicable to future weapons systems for broader military services, international military markets, and further spin-off applications. The effort may include, but is not limited to, modeling and simulation, development, and testing of track, running gear, suspension, road wheels, and subsequent developments to improve these systems and sub-systems in harmony for best-in-class ride quality for tracked combat vehicles.
“The CRADA is the start of a budding relationship to research, develop, and integrate the newest technologies into modern combat vehicles,” said Mike Milner, American Rheinmetall Vehicles Director for Business Development and Strategy. “Specifically, efforts on integration of the Advanced Lightweight Track will provide ride quality improvements and room for growth without reductions in performance on tracked combat vehicles.”
12 Sep 22. MSPO 2022: Concept showcases Wirus 4 SOF. Polish manufacturer Concept showcased the lightweight 4×4 Wirus SOF vehicle at the International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2022 held in Kielce from 6 to 9 September. The Wirus SOF is based on the Polish army’s Wirus 4 Żmija light, long-range reconnaissance vehicle. It was developed, after receiving feedback from the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND), as a multirole platform capable of supporting missions such as long-range reconnaissance, special forces operations, and command-and-control. The 3.5 tonne vehicle is based on the commercially available Mitsubishi L200 chassis, with the 180 hp Mitsubishi 2.4 litre turbo-diesel engine, producing a speed of more than 100 km/h. Concept is responsible for constructing the body using light composite materials. The vehicle in its basic form is unarmoured, but customers can request anti-mine protection of its underbody from roadside mines up to NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4569 level 1. (Source: Janes)
13 Sep 22. MSPO 2022: Poland’s AMZ unveils TUR 7 armoured vehicle. AMZ-Kutno unveiled the TUR 7 4×4 armoured vehicle at the International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2022 held in Kielce from 6 to 9 September. The TUR 7 was shown in a light medical transporter configuration and joins the large TUR family of vehicles produced by AMZ-Kutno. The medical transporter version can carry up to seven personnel, including the driver and a wounded passenger placed on a stretcher. Passengers can disembark the vehicle from the rear exit through a pair of hinged armoured doors. The vehicle is configurable, and as is typical of its class, weaponry can be mounted on a remotely operated weapon station integrated on its roof. (Source: Janes)
12 Sep 22. As the British Army looks to replace much of its TUM fleet with the GSUP might the STI-Steyr Light Multi-Mission Vehicle fit the bill, ponders Bob Morrison. Many armies are moving away from the traditional and conventional rugged 4×4 utility vehicles, like for example the Land Rover or Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen or Steyr-Daimler-Puch Pinzgauer, in favour of mass-produced five-dour Sports Utility Vehicles and/or their two-door pick-up truck siblings, but might there still be a case for running a less technically advanced and therefore easier to operate and maintain fleet of more basic specification light trucks? After all, does a soldier operating in the back of beyond really want to have to rely on the very latest electrickery to get him or her out of an off-road pickle and do they have the time to wait around for a representative from the ‘fourth emergency service’ to turn up with a diagnostics laptop to get the wheels rolling again if their truck breaks down or throws an electronic tantrum? Forty years ago when the One-Ten and G-wagen were new kids on the block they could still often be fixed with a Swiss Army knife, baling twine and a length of wire, a lump of chewing gum, and some basic mechanical and electrical knowledge. But I digress.
The STI-Steyr LMV or Light Multi-Mission Vehicle, produced by Austria’s internationally famous manufacturer of road maintenance machines, which also operates and manufactures in the Emirates as STI (Steyr Trucks International) Defense, is a 3,500kg to 4,500kg gross weight 4×4 no-frills utility vehicle offering a payload of 1000kg to 1900kg dependent on body configuration. In five-door configuration as seen here the LMV measures 5100x1880x1850mm high, but three-door high-line ambulance / communications bodies and soft-top troop carrier versions are also available, as is an open Special Operations Vehicle version. Top speed is stated as being 140km/hr and road range is up to 1200km, dependent on variant.
Although very much a Hum-vee, or even a VAMTAC, look-alike the STI-Steyr LMV has a much more conventional interior layout than the American military utility and as a result it is more capacious and has a load bed large enough to accept a standard cargo pallet behind the second pair of seats; though it is more likely that such a load would be carried in a crew cab version to allow full pallet height. Confidentiality clauses prevented representatives at MSPO 2022 confirming which countries this vehicle is in service with, other than saying it has been sold in bulk in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) Region and in Asia, but company military sales literature has photos of quantities of vehicles in different configurations sitting side-by-side which bear out these claims.
Unfortunately the STI-Steyr LMV, which appeared on static display at Eurosatory in Paris in June and then at MSPO in Poland in early September, is unlikely to be able to make it over to DVD 2022 later this month, which is a pity as it would be interesting to see how it fares around the Millbrook off-road tracks (on decent off-road tyres of course). (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
09 Sep 22. It was published in the Army Bulletin (BE) of today, September 9th, the EME/C Ex No. 04.066) of the armored fighting vehicle – current tank (VBC CC Corrente), revoking the previous ordinances, within the Strategic Program of the Army (Prg EE)
With these documents, the Brazilian Army begins the process that began in December 2020, with the EME/C Ex Order No. 279, which aims to modernize the VBC CC Leopard 1A5BR so that they are able to fulfill their function until the arrival of their successor (VBC CC Future Project).
The original project proposed to obtain 116 modernized units, of the 220 under load, extending their useful life for at least 15 years, considering the period until 2037, in addition to the planning and implementation of Integrated Logistics Support (SLI) during this period, however, in a recent presentation by the Material Directorate (DMat) to the Army General Staff (EME), this number dropped to just 52 vehicles, to be modernized between 2024 and 2030, which may be an indication that the program of its successor is next. (Source: LinkedIN)
————————————————————————-
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
————————————————————————-