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26 Feb 15. Ricardo forms US defence subsidiary. New organization – structured under a Special Security Agreement – will provide incremental opportunities for collaboration with US manufacturers and government agencies on defence related vehicle technology development and engineering projects. Ricardo is completing the extensive approval process required for a Special Security Agreement, along with the necessary investments in people, processes, and facilities that will enable the company to expand its role in the US defence market. The new Ricardo Defense Systems (RDS) will be located within its own facility at Ricardo’s existing Detroit Technology Campus in Van Buren Township, Michigan. The formation of RDS reinforces Ricardo’s role as a leading provider of advanced automotive technology and innovation, focused on the needs of this exceptionally demanding market sector. Ricardo has a proven track record of successfully addressing a wide range of critical challenges such as the development of innovative vehicle designs, hybrid-electric powertrains, improving vehicle stability, reducing vehicle weight, decreasing development timelines, and improving modeling and simulation for its defence customers. The dedicated RDS facility and full-time core team of the new subsidiary organization will enable greater focus on the needs of the defence market, while leveraging the resources that Ricardo has available through its affiliated global technical consultancy and specialist niche manufacturing operations. “We are excited to have created an organization that brings to bear all of Ricardo’s existing expertise in wheeled and tracked vehicles, powertrain, electronics, and software engineering to better serve our military customers and servicemen and women,” said Paul Luskin, president of Ricardo Defense Systems. “At the same time, we will be expanding our skills and pursuing previously unavailable opportunities.”
26 Feb 15. General Dynamics UK has successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the SCOUT Reconnaissance variant, as part of the SCOUT Specialist Vehicle (SV) programme. The completion of the SCOUT Reconnaissance variant CDR is a significant marker in the SCOUT SV programme, with the first SCOUT Reconnaissance pre-production prototype to be completed later this year. The CDR covered the fully-integrated SCOUT Reconnaissance platform, including the platform hull design, the Lockheed Martin UK-developed turret, Electronic Architecture, onboard software solutions, sub-systems and variant-specific products, such as the Primary Sight. In service, the SCOUT Reconnaissance variant will provide best-in-class protection and survivability, reliability and mobility and all-weather Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Recognition (ISTAR) capabilities. It will enable the soldier to be at the point of collection of accurate all-weather commander information within a network-enabled, fully-digitised platform.
Kevin Connell, vice president at General Dynamics UK – Land Systems, said: “The SCOUT Reconnaissance variant is the flagship of the SCOUT SV programme and will provide a step-change in ground-based ISTAR capability to the British Army. The completion of the SCOUT Reconnaissance variant CDR is a significant step in delivering a family of SCOUT SV platforms, which represent the future of Armoured Fighting Vehicles for the British Army.”
The SCOUT Reconnaissance variant CDR is the final variant-specific CDR to be completed ahead of the pending SCOUT SV System CDR, which will examine all aspects of each SCOUT SV platforms under a single review.
Defence Minister, Philip Dunne, said: “The SCOUT programme has already passed several of its key milestones, including the live blast trials. This latest achievement shows great progress, with S