Sponsored by Oshkosh
www.oshkoshdefense.com
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05 Mar 20. Allison Transmission Announces Opening of New Vehicle Environmental Test Center at the NTEA Work Truck Show. Allison Transmission, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, announced today that the official opening of the Vehicle Environment Test (VET) Center will take place July 8, 2020. The 60,000 square-foot building will house two environmental chambers capable of simulating a broad range of environmental conditions and duty cycles, including temperature extremes, grades, altitudes and other on-road conditions. Specifically, the Center will house a hot soak chamber, a cold soak chamber and two chassis dyne-equipped environmental chambers. The capabilities include temperature extremes from -54 degrees to 125 degrees Fahrenheit and altitude up to 18,000 feet, grades and other on-road conditions. By utilizing this test center, Allison and our OEM partners will be able to accelerate development and validation of conventional powertrains, alternative fuel vehicles, electric hybrid vehicles and fully electric vehicles for all aspects of performance—including emissions and fuel economy. The Center is capable of accommodating most commercial on- and off-highway and wheeled defense vehicle applications.
This investment in next generation innovation pays off immediately because the VET breaks the seasonal dependency of the product development cycle. It eliminates Mother Nature and other variations in fuel economy and performance testing by providing vehicle-level controlled laboratory conditions. The Center can simulate any temperature, any road and any location, on any day all in one location. But the real payoff is taking the reliable and repeatable data produced in the VET and driving those correlations back into models and simulations to create more sophisticated virtual product development. The VET is the solution for product development process innovation.
As the only one of its kind in the Midwest, the VET will enable Allison and our OEM partners to bring new technology and products to market faster and more efficiently. When not in use by Allison, the Center will be available to external parties to support their testing and certification needs. All testing is conducted in a manner ensuring customer data is secure and confidential.
“Allison’s long history of innovation continues to be written as we move into the future with our enhanced testing and advanced product development capabilities at our new test center,” said Randy Kirk, Senior Vice President, Product Engineering and Program Management at Allison Transmission. “As a company dedicated to innovation, we are doing more than ever to ensure we stay integrated within our customers’ needs, as well as monitoring environmental regulations for emissions, noise and air quality.”
As our industry continues to evolve, Allison Transmission’s investments in core product development and innovation underscore our commitment to remain a leader in propulsion solutions across all the end markets we serve. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
04 Mar 20. US Army Sets Timeline for JLTV Recompete Contract. The Army is looking to issue a new contract to manufacture the joint light tactical vehicle in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, the service’s project manager in charge of the program said March 4.
Congress mandated the joint program recompete the effort in order to drive down costs. The current manufacturer, Oshkosh Defense, sold the technical data rights to the Army in 2016 paving the way for the program to find another contractor who could perhaps offer a lower manufacturing price.
A draft request for proposals is scheduled to be released this month, Michael Sprang, the joint JLTV program office’s program manager, said at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference in Austin, Texas.
The JPO has already held an industry day in February with a second to be held possibly in March 2021, he said. The office has also hosted one-on-one meetings with prime contractors. The office will issue a final request for proposals in the second quarter of 2022 with the winner being chosen by the end of that fiscal year.
“We love the JLTV — the design of it right now. We love the capability it provides,” Sprang said, but competition has always been built into the program.
The JPO is looking to leverage new automotive technologies and incorporate them into the next version of the JLTV. “We actually see the competition mechanism as a great way of doing that. And so we are not just doing a pure build-to-print design.”
The office has its own wishlist of new capabilities but is asking industry over the next 45 days to send the Army its ideas on what improvements can be incorporated, he said. The ideas gleaned will be run through Army Materiel Command, the Marine Corps, added to the Army’s own list and consolidated into a document that can be shared with industry in December.
Some of these desired items include how to increase situational awareness, how to reduce the platform’s noise signature and a lower profile for the kits that provide extra seating, he said.
One subsystem certain to change is the engine. Oshkosh chose the commercially available GM Duramax engine for the JLTV, but that is at risk of becoming obsolete. It saved a lot of development money, but GM may ultimately modify or discontinue the engine based on its commercial customers’ needs, Sprang explained.
“That becomes a friction point with the government. How many different iterations of that engine do we want to complete? Is that the right engine for the long term?” he asked. The Army is currently working on the answers to those questions with the solution being incorporated into the recompete manufacturing contract, he said.
Meanwhile, the program office is moving faster than expected to field JLTV specific trailers. The original plan was to use legacy Humvee trailers for the first few years. Sprang said during operational tests they were deemed to be unsafe.
“It became a safety issue both for the soldiers and also to the equipment because the soldiers wanted to drive the JLTV the way it is meant to be driven,” he said. That resulted in damage to the trailers and the equipment they were hauling. The decision was made to field them as a system. Manufacturing will begin on the new trailers by the end of the calendar year, he added.
Gene Morin, product manager for the JLTV at the Marine Corps, said the service has received 500 of the new vehicles to date and they are all being deployed. So far, corrosion in the maritime environment has been one of the big issues that needs to be solved. Most of the Corps’ JLTVs are aboard ships or being used near sea spray, he added.
Signature management on the JLTV is also becoming a big deal for the service. “I have never heard Marines talk so much about signature management both in the [radio frequency], noise and light,” Morin said. (Source: glstrade.com/National Defense)
04 Mar 20. AJAX PQ.
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
[N]
Asked on: 26 February 2020
Ministry of Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement
21167
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated from the public purse to the Ajax programme in each year from 2012 to 2019.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 04 March 2020
Holding answer received on 02 March 2020
The table below sets out the amount spent on the AJAX programme, rounded to the nearest £100:
FY2012-13 FY2013-14 FY2014-15 FY2015-16 FY2016-17
£92,138,700 £71,902,200 £281,655,700 £274,362,100 £351,382,300
FY2017-18 FY2018-19
£463,278,400 £600,936, 200
BATTLESPACE Comment: The PQ does not elaborate on the application of these funds but it is a huge amount to get to the production stage without attaining full production.
03 Mar 20. Army Launches Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Study as Funding Falls. The Army in its 2021 fiscal year budget request has asked for a sharp reduction in funding for its tactical wheeled vehicles, but that doesn’t mean the service isn’t committed to modernizing its fleets, said the director of force development in the Army’s office of the deputy G-8.
Maj. Gen. Erik Peterson said senior leaders have tasked Army Futures Command to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the TWV fleets to ensure their numbers are not falling under warfighter requirements and that they are suited to multi-domain operations. The study is part of a larger one looking at whether the Army has the right force structure in place for multi-domain operations.
The TWV review will look at resets, recapitalization, technology insertion, new procurements and divestment of platforms that are beyond their useful life, Peterson said March 3 at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference.
Industry gathered at this year’s premier tactical wheeled vehicles confab as the sector is increasingly seen as a “bill payer” for other Army programs. In the service’s so-called night court process, where certain programs are being cut to fund the Army’s top modernization priorities, tactical wheeled vehicles are taking a hit.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration notified Congress recently that it was reprogramming some $3.8bn in Defense Department funding to construct the southern border wall, which affected $100m in National Guard Humvee buys and $100m in trailers.
“In our 2021 budget request we are still buying tactical wheeled vehicles, but we have slowed our progress based on the modernization priorities,” Peterson said.
The proposed 25 percent reduction in the tactical wheeled vehicle and support vehicles account is a reflection of the six modernization priorities: long-range precision fires, the next-generation combat vehicle, future vertical lift, the network, air-and-missile defense and soldier lethality. Since tactical wheeled vehicles don’t precisely fit into any of these categories, it was decided in the face of flat topline budgets to take some risk with the Army’s non-fighting vehicles, Peterson said.
“It’s just a painful reality of where we are right now in that modernization process,” he said. “We have not lost sight of the essential nature of the contributions that our tactical wheeled vehicles make, but we are taking prudent risks right now.”
The budget request is asking for $95m for the family of medium tactical vehicles, $7m for heavy tactical vehicles and $894m for the joint light tactical vehicle, he said. It includes $18.1m for research, development, test and evaluation.
The total TWV fleet is now slightly over 200,000 platforms.
Peterson said tactical wheeled vehicles will have to operate in increasingly lethal battlefields where long-range fires can extend up to 1,000 miles. They will have to operate beyond human endurance meaning more autonomy and leader-follower technology, he said.
“Our enemy has eyes on us all the time. Fires are becoming more precise and the ranges are increasing dramatically,” he said.
The Army wants to employ artificial intelligence and machine learning for performance-based logistics and advanced manufacturing on battlefields so parts can be replaced quickly. The service wants “all the safety features” that are found in today’s commercial vehicles and better fuel efficiency, acknowledging that future vehicles may be all electric or hybrid electric.
“The great thing is we actually have a great idea on the ways and means of building the next tactical wheeled vehicles requirements,” Peterson said. (Source: glstrade.com/National Defense)
04 Mar 20. Polish Army receives first batch of RPP UGVs. The Polish Army received its first Robot Patrolowo Przenośny (RPP) 1806 engineer unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) on 2 March, the Ministry of National Defence (MND) and manufacturer Łukasiewicz-PIAP Institute announced the same day.
The first batch of 18 RPP UGVs will be delivered to the 2nd Masovian Military Engineer Regiment by the end of the 2020. The remaining 17 are to be delivered in 2021. The MND put the contract value at PLN80.7m (USD20.9m). Łukasiewicz-PIAP Institute director Piotr Szynkarczyk said the delivery of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD)/counter-improvised explosive device (IED) UGVs was one of the 14 major modernisation programmes announced by the MND, adding that the institute is Poland’s biggest UGV manufacturer. (Source: Jane’s)
04 Mar 20. US clears sale of M88A2 HERCULES vehicles to Morocco. The US has approved a potential sale of 25 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System (HERCULES) vehicles to Morocco.
The estimated cost of the vehicles and/or M88A1 long supply HERCULES refurbished vehicles with associated equipment is expected to be $239.35m. The possible foreign military sale is subject to the approval of Congress, which has been notified about the deal by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
Morocco will procure 25 M2 .50 calibre machine guns, 25 export single channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS), 30 AN/VAS-5B driver vision enhancer (DVE) kits, 25 M239 or M250 smoke grenade launchers, as well as 1,800 M76 (G826) or L8A1/L8A3 (G815) smoke grenade rounds.
In addition, the package may include 25,000 A576 cartridges, .50 calibre linked 4 API/API-T F/M2, as well as 300 G815 – grenade with smoke screening L8A1/A3.
The customer request also comprises 2,500 A541 – 50 armour-piercing incendiary tracer M20 F/M2, 91,800 A557 – cartridge, .50 calibre 4 ball/1 tracer linked M33 F/M2, as well as 54,000 A598 – cartridge, and .50 calibre blank F/M2.
DSCA said in a statement: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-Nato ally that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in North Africa.” (Source: army-technology.com)
03 Mar 20. CV90: Innovating by Warfighters for Warfighters. Every year BAE Systems hosts representatives from the group of nations who operate the CV90 to share information that helps continuously evolve the Infantry Fighting Vehicle’s capabilities as an advanced and affordable combat vehicle. They are known as members of the CV90 Club and they come from all over Europe. The topics discussed are broad and in-depth. It might be about a missile, smoothness of ride, or battlefield situational awareness. New technologies can also be a focus. So can shared experiences.
The CV90 Club represents the seven countries that operate the CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Some are part of NATO, others are not. But they take part in two days of intense yet collaborative meetings with one common goal: Working together to help make the CV90 family of vehicles continuously better for warfighters.” This could be anything from cost effectively adding new capabilities for addressing emerging threats and requirements, or ways to pool resources to support lifecycle sustainment like upgrades and spares.
“The openness within the community is striking and this to the benefit of all users,” said Dan Lindell, director of combat vehicles at BAE Systems Hägglunds. “It also benefits us. We get valuable feedback and insight into the day-to-day operations of the CV90 and their crews in a proactive and professional way, which is really important. These meetings are always one of the highlights of my year because they are an opportunity for us to get better too.”
This year’s annual meeting took place earlier this month in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, where BAE Systems manufactures the CV90. The current users of the CV90 are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
The value the CV90 Club and its System Development Board (SDB) bring is not hard to grasp. They simply share the collective knowledge of first-hand experience of actively operating and maintaining the Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Sharing this knowledge in this forum benefits all of the user nations in terms of optimizing CV90 operations while also helping BAE Systems enhance the vehicle’s capabilities over time.
New innovations
This approach takes full advantage of the CV90’s modular systems architecture that gives it the flexibility and adaptability needed to cost-effectively add new technologies and capabilities as seamlessly as possible. There are 15 variants of the CV90.
One of the most valuable innovations that arose from these meetings was deploying the vehicles on rubber tracks reducing vibrations and consequently improving reliability and crew comfort. The group studied the potential and helped implement the rubber track system now fielded on the Norwegian Army’s version of the vehicle, and the idea has drawn a great deal of interest from other nations.
”The recurring SDB meetings are a vital function within the CV90 Club’s activities, and help pave the way for continuous development of the CV90 vehicle family to push the limit of the technological edge for combat vehicles,” said Ola Almesjö, the CV90 Club’s chairman. “The SDB enables a converging force that outline the member states strivings and development needs and the latest technology achievements.”
A big topic this year was the integration and test firing of an anti-tank-guided missile over the winter using a Rafael Advanced Defense Systems SPIKE-LR for the first time late last year, adding yet another lethal capability to the vehicle’s highly diversified mission sets. This demonstration was welcomed by the group and could lead CV90 operators to add the capability in the years ahead. In addition the modularity of the CV90 was discussed and a walk-though of the wide range of CV90 specialist vehicles was presented. The CV90 is more than an IFV and the strength of variants provides the power of combined arms for current and future users.
Heading back home
CV90 Club representatives return home once the meetings conclude with new knowledge about the vehicle they operate, gained through the openness of their counterparts. This can lead to new ideas for operations or tactics. It also opens the possibility of partnering with other CV90 user nations to develop new methods and capabilities together.
“I always go home with something to share with my colleagues,” said Rune Hellerud, Fleet Manager CV90, Norwegian Defence Material Agency. (Source: ASD Network)
03 Mar 20. AMX-13 fleet retired by Argentine Army. Argentina’s army retired its last AMX-13 light tanks from service on 14 December 2019, during a change of command ceremony for the Regimiento de Caballería de Exploración de Montaña 5 (5th Mountain Exploration Cavarly Regiment).
The unit was the last to operate the model, which it received in 1967 for a total of 56 vehicles. The service will continue to maintain a few AMX Mk F3 and AMX command posts. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Mar 20. Marlborough Communications Limited (MCL) has been awarded a £1.5m contract to supply four Mission Adaptable Platform System (MAPS) Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) to the Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s Remote Patrol Vehicle (RPV) Experimentation Programme.
The UGVs have been developed by Australian defence technology company Praesidium Global Pty Ltd, which has agreed an exclusive UK and Europe supply arrangement with MCL to initially support Spiral 1 of the RPV programme.
The RPV Experimentation Programme is an MoD Future Capability Group project to determine the future requirements of UGVs through a series of trials. Spiral 1 focuses on four key areas: resupplying platoon soldiers, reducing load burden on soldiers, casualty evacuation and power export for charging and supply of platoon level electrical equipment. The UGVs will be trialled for 90 days over a period of 12 months on a mixture of tracks, off-road and hard surfaces as detailed by UK training standards.
The MAPS UGV, which MCL will supply to the MoD as prime contractor, is a skid steer, six-wheel drive vehicle powered by batteries and a three-cylinder diesel generator – providing efficient power for battery charging and ensuring clean power for digital electronic system support. The generator offers a fully effective recharge with four litres of fuel, while the UGV can carry 100 litres of diesel enabling as much as 20 days of operation. The vehicle is designed to enable generator start and main battery recharging from flat battery condition.
MCL will also solely provide payload solutions for the MAPS UGV in Spiral 1 of the programme, which includes a casualty evacuation solution for two casualties and a medic, as well as a power distribution box for exporting power to equipment.
As part of the contract MCL will deliver user training for its payload solution, covering safe and competent operation as well as terrain level training to enable users to understand the fundamental limit of capabilities.
With a ‘ready for delivery’ date of 16 March 2020, Spiral 1 of the RPV programme will run for up to 12 months.
Shane Knight, Managing Director, MCL, said: “Working with our specialist technology partners, MCL has a proven heritage in integrating and delivering industry-leading capabilities for the UK MoD.
“In support of the RPV Experimentation Programme, our capability is integrated through digital control systems, which will enable the UGVs to communicate with others in the field, while the system is agile, enhances repairability, enables mission efficiency and fosters battlefield resilience. Utilising flexible supply chains can also allow us to control costs and offer significant value for both Praesidium Global and the MoD.”
Spirals 2 and 3 of the RPV Experimentation Programme will focus on ISTAR, EOS systems and Remote Weapon Stations respectively. MCL has an agreement with Praesidium Global to represent them for these sections of the programme.
03 Mar 20. Minister of State for Defence Procurement visits RBSL’s military vehicle facility ahead of key programmes. The Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin MP, has visited Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) – a joint venture business dedicated to the design, manufacture, and in-service support of combat vehicles.
The Minister was accompanied by Chris Bushell, the newly appointed Chief of Material Land at Defence, Equipment and Support.
Recently appointed as Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Mr Quin took the opportunity to visit RBSL’s headquarters in Telford, Shropshire. He met employees and apprentices on a site tour and received a briefing on upcoming vehicle programmes.
The visit comes at an important time for the company. RBSL will be one of the primary vehicle manufacturers in the UK producing ‘Boxer’ 8×8 armoured vehicles for the British Army.
An industrialisation programme is currently underway to prepare for the contract, including investment in infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities, and training in specialist manufacturing engineering.
The MIV contract, announced by the UK MOD in November 2019, will sustain and grow skilled jobs at RBSL sites in Telford, Washington (UK), Bristol, and Dorset. It will also create and sustain hundreds of jobs across the UK with a vibrant supply chain and support the UK’s prosperity agenda with potential export opportunities.
Peter Hardisty, Managing Director of RBSL, said:
“It was a pleasure to host the Minister and Mr Bushell at our Telford site and demonstrate our commitment to the MOD, engineering, and manufacturing. Our site is evolving, our people are ready, and our apprentice and graduate community is growing. We hope this investment will not only benefit the Boxer programme, but also future vehicle programmes.”
Jeremy Quin MP, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, said: “I’m pleased to see first-hand how the Boxer programme is progressing at RBSL. Each element of the supply chain is important in providing the Army with new state-of-the-art armoured vehicles. This visit illustrates yet another example of how Defence is levelling-up the UK economy through creating and sustaining skilled jobs in military vehicle manufacturing.”
02 Mar 20. Haiti fields TAG LT-79 armoured vehicles. Haiti has been revealed as the latest user of the TAG (The Armoured Group) Terrier LT-79 armoured personnel carrier (APC) following the delivery of 15 examples of the type to Port au Prince on 22 February, as disclosed by the country’s presidency.
The vehicles were handed over to the National Police of Haiti (PNH), which has previously been known to operate at least one armoured truck used by its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit. It is unclear if additional LT-79s have been ordered by Haiti.
The LT-79 is a 4×4 vehicle built on a Toyota Land Cruiser series 79 chassis. It has a full combat weight of 5.6 tonnes and is designed to accommodate between eight and 10 personnel, including a driver, depending on the seating arrangements. The vehicle is fully armoured and offers STANAG Level 1 protection, including against mines, which can be increased to STANAG Level 2, according to official TAG information. The LT-79 can be fitted with a protected weapon station for a light or heavy machine gun, although the Haitian vehicles do not appear to be equipped with this.
Since their delivery the PNH’s LT-79s have somewhat ironically been deployed on the streets of Port au Prince in a bid to quell ongoing violence caused by police personnel; numerous police officers have taken to the streets to demand better working conditions and the creation of a police union.
Indeed, on 23 February a group of gunmen claiming to belong to the PNH assaulted the headquarters of the Haitian Armed Forces (FADH) in a gun battle that lasted for six hours and resulted in the death of one soldier. (Source: Jane’s)
02 Mar 20. RAAF receives Broadspectrum Panther-S firefighting vehicle. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has received a new Broadspectrum Panther-S firefighting vehicle. The firefighting vehicle arrived at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base East Sale in Victoria, Australia.
Launch of the vehicle was witnessed by Australian Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester, as well as representatives from Broadspectrum and vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer Australia.
A ceremony was held at the RAAF East Sale Fire Station for the new capability. During the event, the vehicle’s capabilities were demonstrated.
Australian Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester said: “The new Panther-S model is being introduced by as part of Broadspectrum’s investment and commitment to firefighting and airfield safety. This investment is an example of the continued commitment of Broadspectrum to provide our ADF personnel with high-quality, state-of-the-art products and services.”
The Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 S has a 700hp engine, a 115km/h maximum speed, up to 10,300l of extinguishing medium capacity, and 7,000l/min pump output. Panther is also available in other versions such as 6×6, 8×8 and 4×4.
Chester added: “I also thank Broadspectrum and the support they provided during the bushfires, where they provided extensive services to Defence personnel and evacuees, as well as being involved in the firefighting.”
Broadspectrum has been delivering base services and products to Australian defence at several bases for more than 15 years.
RAAF Base East Sale trains amateur pilots and gets them ready for other operational defence capabilities.
In December last year, RAAF Base East Sale also took delivery of the final aircraft in the RAAF Pilatus PC-21 pilot training aircraft fleet.(Source: airforce-technology.com)
28 Feb 20. Patria and SIA Unitruck announce JV to support Latvian Armed Forces. Patria and SIA Unitruck have entered a strategic partnership agreement to establish a joint venture (JV) in Latvia. Named as SIA Defence Partnership Latvia, the new JV is majority-owned by Patria (70%) and the remaining stake is held by Unitruck (30%). Located in Cesis, the new entity will focus on offering services to the Latvian National Armed Forces. The services include maintenance, overhaul, repair, and system integration, as well as logistical operations.
Patria International Support Partnerships business unit president Jukka Holkeri said: “Establishing SIA Defence Partnership Latvia is a part of Patria’s strategy to grow its international maintenance and lifecycle support business.
“This joint venture is a long-term commitment to support Latvia’s National Armed Forces.
“Would Latvia decide to procure Patria 6×6 vehicle platform, we believe SIA Defence Partnership Latvia will be a very capable key contributor to
the Latvian security of supply in the programme and for ensuring long-term sustainment of the vehicles.”
Eventually, SIA Defence Partnership Latvia is expected to be included in the Latvian defence mobilisation organisation. (Source: army-technology.com)
21 Jan 20. GKN Automotive and Delta Electronics Inc. Collaborate to Accelerate Development of Nextgeneration eDrive Technology.
- eDrive systems leader GKN Automotive and power electronics specialist Delta Electronics Inc. begin strategic collaboration
- Milestone relationship will accelerate delivery of scalable, next-generation 3-in-1 eDrive systems
- New integrated eDrive systems currently in development will enter production within three years to continue addressing a sizeable and rapidly expanding market
London – 21, January, 2020: GKN Automotive, the world’s leading supplier of electric drive, all- wheel drive and driveline technology and systems, and Delta Electronics Inc., a world-class provider of power and thermal management solutions, today announced their collaboration on the joint development that will enable the rapid acceleration of next generation integrated 3-in-1 eDrive systems of power classes from 80kW to 155kW.
The joint development of advanced eDrive technology will see inverters supplied by Delta Electronics Inc. integrated with GKN Automotive’s eMotor and gearbox systems in a 3-in-1 solution. Further aligning the two companies is a shared dedication to systems weight and packaging volume reduction, and a focus on simplifying OEM assembly processes for easier and better-quality component installations. The collaboration between these two industry-leading companies will significantly increase their technical capabilities and accelerate time to market.
Liam Butterworth, CEO of GKN Automotive, said: “The eDrive market continues to accelerate as manufacturers are required to meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations demanding technological progression and speed. Our collaboration with Delta represents a significant milestone in the expansion of our portfolio of scalable, integrated 3-in-1 eDrive solutions and our capabilities in rapidly bringing new cost competitive technologies to market.”
Simon Chang, COO of Delta Electronics Inc., added: “Delta is dedicated to enabling low-carbon green transportation by providing EV powertrain solutions and power electronics products, including traction inverters, traction motors, on-board chargers, DC/DC converters, and EV charging solutions to the market. We’re pleased to work with the leading company GKN Automotive to produce integrated eDrive units for the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles.”
GKN Automotive has an unparalleled 17 years of eDrive development and integration expertise which has resulted in the production of more than one million eDrive units to date, and a rapidly expanding order book. Delta Electronics Inc. has nearly 50 years expertise in power electronics and is currently supporting the world’s leading EV makers with its quality and comprehensive product portfolios. The partnership will further strengthen GKN Automotive’s position as the industry’s leading full-system electric powertrain supplier while boosting Delta Electronics Inc.’s position as a dominant force in the design, development and supply of EV powertrain solutions and power electronics products.
The new collaboration will centre on the development of two new integrated eDrive families for application across different torque classes for the next generation of hybrid and electric vehicles. Within three years, the new 3-in-1 eDrive units will be available for start of production in a multitude of vehicle types, from A-segment city cars to D-segment executive cars and SUVs, supporting a range of torque outputs from 2,000 Nm to 3,800 Nm, with nominal power outputs of between 80 kW to 155 kW. These solutions will cover a large proportion of the future eDrive market, which is projected to be worth more than £12bn by 2030*.
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About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
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