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———————————————————————–14 Sep 13. GD to Pay Lockheed Millions Over Vehicle Requirements Delay. General Dynamics has agreed to pay millions of pounds in compensation after it failed to stick to a timetable to provide a complete set of requirements to Lockheed Martin UK for the development of a turret to be built for a key new British Army scout vehicle program. Sources familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified, said at the DSEi defense show in London the two sides had settled their differences and agreed to a deal after months of wrangling over the issue. As of Sept. 10, nothing had been signed ahead of final discussions continuing over the fine details of the arrangement. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
17 Sep 13. Frazer-Nash Consultancy has completed a Land Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) System Information Exploitation (SIE) Research Study on behalf of Dstl. The study defined the MoD’s generic information requirements for processes and decision making at platform and fleet level through a series of stakeholder interviews and used that information to assess the optimal exploitation of HUMS data on Foxhound. This top down approach ensured the derived information requirements and data set were clearly linked to the decisions that they supported. As a result of the study Frazer-Nash has identified a generic data set for Land platforms and identified 19 information types; 58 information requirements; and 103 data requirements. It also pinpointed the opportunities, benefits and limitations of the current HUMS Defence Standard and provided Dstl and stakeholders in the Land Environment with a greater understanding as to whether Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) and its System Information Exploitation (SIE) could be adopted for Land Equipments.
19 Sep 13. Meritor develops new electronic systems for military vehicles. Meritor has developed two new electronic systems to help military vehicles improve their manoeuvrability through varied terrains and extreme conditions, with enhanced traction and mobility. Called SmartFlow central tire inflation system (CTIS) and DriveCommand Drivetrain Control (DTC), the new systems are designed to offer customised tire pressure and drivetrain management through mud, sand and snow, on highways and cross-country, and in emergency situations. Independently controlled by a single human machine interface (HMI) unit, the lightweight systems can readily mount on a cab or high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) chassis, as well as on the joint light tactical vehicles (JLTV). The company is expecting the US Army and Marine Corps to be the first-time users of both SmartFlow CTIS and DriveCommand DTC, which can be incorporated into any military vehicle with an onboard air compressor. Meritor North America vice-president, Tim Burns, said the two systems boost vehicle performance for soldiers in extreme conditions, by enabling drivers to easily control tire pressure, differential locking and transfer case positioning. Besides automatic monitoring and adjustment of tire inflation with a single pneumatic control unit, (PCU) irrespective of the vehicle’s status, SmartFlow CTIS also extends tire and wheel component life and lowers maintenance costs through detection of tire leakage, and determining if it should continue inflating with air. Extending Meritor Defense’s front and rear locking differentials and transfer cases package, DriveCommand DTC can engage automatically when the driver selects a mobility mode on the HMI panel. The two systems, along with the company’s other HMMWV- and JLTV-compatible components, including the ProTec Series 30 high-mobility independent suspension, are scheduled to be featured in an interactive display at Modern Day Marine, which will be held at Quantico marine corps base from 24 to