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Web Page sponsored by MILLBROOK
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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16 Jan 10. Babcock commented on the Creation Statement on LPPV (See: BATTLESPACE ALERT Vol.12 ISSUE 04, 17 January 2009, CREATION STATEMENT ON WITHDRAWAL FROM LPPV). “Babcock confirms that we have withdrawn from the LPPV evaluation trials with the Zephyr SRV. We felt that more time and investment was needed to improve the survivability and maturity of the design. Creation is now taking Zephyr forward on their own and we believe that Zephyr may be considered once LPPV becomes a fully funded programme. Babcock remains an OEM-independent provider of technical support services and wishes to remain involved in the LPPV programme, and we look forward to offering our value-added services to potential LPPV suppliers to support future MoD requirements.”
18 Jan 10. JLTV in the balance? Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the U.S. DoD has had a rethink about future light vehicle designs and the HMMV replacement. Given the IED and mine threat, it is believed that the DoD will mandate a minimum of 18 inches ground clearance to protect the vehicle from mine blast. This will result in major design changes for the various JLTV contenders.
20 Jan 10. First SPV400 prototype revealed by Supacat. The first running prototype of the Supacat Protected Vehicle (SPV) 400 is officially revealed today by Supacat Ltd. The vehicle is currently being subjected to a detailed trials programme. The second SPV400 prototype is being completed at Supacat’s Devon, UK, facility and will enter the trials programme towards the end January. Further development vehicles are scheduled to follow. The vehicle was subjected to blast testing in December 2009 where Supacat’s design philosophy for highly mobile and lightweight protected vehicles was proven. The SPV Series is the next generation design from Supacat to enhance the company’s successful range of high mobility vehicles, which includes its HMT (High Mobility Transport) vehicles, Jackal and Coyote, which are in service with the UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan. “The SPV400 is a superb achievement by Supacat’s innovative engineering team here in the UK. Its clean sheet design offers an upgradeable solution for 21st century operations and takes the performance of lightweight protected mobility platforms to new levels, making it the vehicle to beat in the international markets we see for this class of vehicle,” said Nick Ames, Managing Director of Supacat.
19 Jan 10. Navistar, Inc. has acquired from Holley Performance Products, Inc. certain assets including intellectual property rights to some of Holley’s valve technology for diesel engine exhaust-gas recirculation systems. Pure Power Technologies LLC, a Navistar company, will manufacture the advanced EGR valve at its Blythewood, S.C., plant. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.“This aligns with our business strategy of controlling our destiny by gaining control of critical component technologies which drive differentiation in today’s modern diesel engines,” said Eric Tech, president, Navistar Engine Group, which will use the EGR valve across its line of MaxxForce®