MILITARY VEHICLE NEWS
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Millbrook, based in Bedfordshire, UK, makes a significant contribution to the quality and performance of military vehicles worldwide. Its specialist expertise is focussed in two distinct areas: test programmes to help armed services and their suppliers ensure that their vehicles and systems work as the specification requires; and design and build work to upgrade new or existing vehicles, evaluate vehicle capability and investigate in-service failures. Complementing these is driver and service training and a hospitality business that allows customers to use selected areas of Millbrook’s remarkable facilities for demonstrations and exhibitions.
Tel: +44 (0) 1525 408408
www.millbrook.co.uk/military
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27 Aug 09. Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) for the U.S. Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) rebuy program. “We feel privileged that the U.S. Army has selected Oshkosh to produce the FMTV, an important element to the Warfighter’s tactical vehicle fleet,” said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Corporation chairman and chief executive officer. “This was a highly competitive bid. We look forward to working closely with our customer on this project to meet the needs of our troops, just as we have with our other products and services.” The FMTV rebuy program is a five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract award for the production of up to 23,000 vehicles and trailers as well as support services and engineering. The FMTV is a series of up to 23 variant and 17 different models ranging from 2.5 ton to 5 ton payloads. The contract’s first delivery order is valued at $280.9 million for the production and delivery of 2,568 trucks and trailers. Initial test vehicle deliveries are planned for mid-2010, followed by production vehicle deliveries later in the year.
Sep 09. GKN Aerospace has been awarded a $425,000 contract by the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) of the United States Department of Defense to develop instantly dimmable bullet resistant windows. The development programme will combine GKN Aerospace’s bullet resistant glazing expertise with ‘suspended particle device’ (SPD-SmartGlassTM) technology from Research Frontiers Inc. GKN Aerospace is licensed by Research Frontiers to use SPD-SmartTM technology to develop armoured glass products that will also offer vehicle occupants instant ‘on-demand’ light control and attenuation, privacy, and protection from heat, glare, and ultraviolet (UV) light penetration. Dr William Fischer, Vice President of Technology, GKN Aerospace, comments: “This new development will have its initial application in the global
counter-terrorism market for government VIP Armoured Personnel Vehicles but also has real value in the civilian VIP market. These ‘SmartShade’ windows will give a level of control, protection and privacy for vehicle occupants not available until now. “ The programme will address three distinct technical objectives. The first will be to develop and refine a manufacturing process which will enable SPD-SmartGlassTM technology to be effectively incorporated into armoured windows. The second will ensure these new windows perform effectively in a range of extreme environmental conditions, and the third will be to satisfy stringent ballistic testing performance requirements against a variety of urban threats.
28 Aug 09. The latest armoured vehicles being sent to do battle with the Taliban are tested to the limit by a specialist unit at Bovington in Dorset. Report by Kevin Slade. Bovington Camp, established in 1916, is the home of the Royal Armoured Corps and an ideal location to trial and te