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Archive for the ‘Mobility’ Category

MDM – Amphibious Combat Vehicle

Friday, September 25th, 2015

Proposed solution for Phase I of the USMC’s Amphibious Combat Vehicle program dominated the show floor with four companies displaying their systems. ACV is intended as a replacement for the Amphibious Assault Vehicle and replaces the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program cancelled in 2011. Phase I plans to purchase COTS wheeled vehicles which can be brought ashore using LCACs. Eventually, phase II will result in an actual amphibious armored vehicle that can come ashore under its own steam from the do well of an amphibious assault ship.

BAE Systems

General Dynamics

Lockheed Martin

SAIC

Posted in Maritime, MDM, Mobility | 27 Comments »

MDM – Reinmetall Defense – Wiesel 2

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015

There are a lot of vehicles at Moden Day Marine, but the one that actually surprised me was the Reinmetall Defence Wiesel 2. I spoke with one of the representatives at the booth and he explained that they recently attended the Maneuver Conference at Ft Benning as they showcase the vehicle for an Army armored gun requirement. They are at Modern Day Marine because the Marines have a mortar vehicle requirement.

The base vehicle dates from the 1980s and the slightly larger Wiesel 2 on display, sports an additional road wheel than its predecessor. This means almost twice as much internal volume. It is 4.78 meters long, 2.17 meters high, and 1.87 meters wide. Its weight is 4.78 metric tons (about 10,500 lbs). It is airdroppable and airtransportable in the CH-53.

Interestingly, the US Army Ranger Regiment experimented with the Wiesel in the mid-1990s during a series of armored vehicle trials. Wiesels have also more recently been evaluated during UGV trials here in the US.

www.rheinmetall-defence.com

Tags: Rheinmetall Defense
Posted in MDM, Mobility | 24 Comments »

DSEI – Torpedo SEAL

Friday, September 18th, 2015

The Torpedo SEAL is a wet submerible for up to two combat swimmers from James Fisher Defense. It can be transported in a NATO Standard 533mm torpedo tube and has a range of up to 10nm at a maximum speed of 4kts thanks to its onboard lithium polymer batteries.

Yes, that long, diagonal beast in the background is the Torpedo SEAL’s big brother the SEAL Carrier which will deliver a 6-man team up to 30nm.

Here are some basic specs:

Above, you can see the controls of the mini-sub.

jfdefence.com/sealpod/torpedo

Tags: James Fisher Defense
Posted in DSEi, Maritime, Mobility | 10 Comments »

DSEI – Sand-X Motors

Friday, September 18th, 2015

Looking like a hybrid ATV and snow machine, the T-ATV 1200 Tracked All Terrain Vehicle by SAND-X MOTORS is certainly unconventional.

Available in military and civilian configurations, the T-ATV 1200 Tracked All Terrain Vehicle is engineered in Switzerland by SAND-X MOTORS. It is designed to operate in all terrains including sand, snow, all types of roads as well as rocky terrains from -50°C to +60°C. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and can reach a top speed of 185 km/h.

sand-x.com

Tags: SAND-X MOTORS
Posted in DSEi, Mobility | 2 Comments »

DSEI – Ricardo

Thursday, September 17th, 2015

This is a power generation upgrade available for standard quad bikes from Ricardo.

This installation offers a 2kw 24v system integrated into the ATV which offers the same level of preformance of a separate gen set. This means you can drive the quad to a location and then use it to power up to 10 laptops, multiple radio and ECM sets as well as battery chargers.

www.ricardo.com

Tags: Ricardo
Posted in DSEi, Mobility, Power | 1 Comment »

DSEI – Tireblocks Defense

Tuesday, September 15th, 2015

Tireblocks Defense is a small company out of Georgia that offers a product of the same name. It is designed as a foam, run flat insert for off-road tires and offers the tire the ability to still per from despite zero inflation. The product originated in the racing world and has been adopted by military groups for use with ATVs as well as MRZRs. There is also a motorcycle version.

Contact www.tbdefense.com for specialized applications.

Tags: Tireblocks Defense
Posted in DSEi, Mobility | 3 Comments »

Tyron And Global Wheelto Supply Run Flat Wheel Assemblies For Springbuck APC

Sunday, September 13th, 2015

Reduces production time and enhances vehicle capability

Loughborough, UK, 15th September 2015: The Springbuck Armoured Personnel Carrier manufactured in South Africa by DCD Defence, is fitted with complete runflat wheel assemblies provided by Tyron and its South African partner Global Wheel.

The initial contract for three complete sets of wheels are fitted with the Global Wheel bolt-together rim, Tyron multi-part All Terrain Rubber Runflat inserts and Continental tyres. These systems will be exposed to extreme harsh African terrains.

“By providing the complete assembly, DCD Defence can reduce the production line assembly requirements. The end user is provided with a proven, highly reliable solution which will keep the vehicle moving safely in the event of a sudden tyre deflation. The wheels can be changed without any special tools even at the roadside,” said Richard Glazebrook, Managing Director of Tyron Runflats Ltd.

Tyron ATR wheel assembly has a unique multi-part rubber runflat fitted to the Global Wheels two part bolt-together steel wheels. This system is locally manufactured specifically for the Springbuck APC.

The Tyron All Terrain Rubber runflat is not only a multi-piece unit but also successfully passed ballistic tests. Emphasis was placed on the connections to ensure that under severe ballistic attack the ATR is not compromised as rubber absorbs far more energy than hard materials from kerb strikes and IEDs.
The Global Wheels bolt-together wheels are available in both steel and aluminium, the rubber of the ATR is enhanced to ensure beadlock, which offers a guaranteed high level off-road flat tyre performance which is not possible with composite runflats.

With Tyron ATRs fitted, the Springbuck APC can be driven for a minimum of 50 km even with all tyres being damaged.

The Springbuck APC features a powerful MWM6 cylinder diesel turbo charged engine and carries a driver and ten personnel. With B6 ballistic protection upgradeable to B7, the all-steel armoured V-shaped hull is designed to withstand a TM57 mine directly under the hull and two under any wheel. The standard configuration can be easily adapted to suit various applications and end user requirements.

Tyron is exhibiting its range of ATRs on stand N9-300 during DSEI 2015 in London from 15 to 18 September. DCD Defence is exhibiting its range on stand N3-110.

www.tyron.com

Tags: DCD Defence, DSEI, Tyron
Posted in International, Mobility | 2 Comments »

QinetiQ Wins DARPA Electric Hub-Drive Design And Development Contract

Wednesday, September 9th, 2015

7 September 2015: QinetiQ is to develop an electric hub-drive to improve survivability and mobility of future military ground vehicles for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The contract, worth $1.5m with an option for a further $2.7m, is part of DARPA’s Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) programme. Under this programme, participants will investigate technologies that could help to significantly improve capability in the next generation of vehicles.

QinetiQ’s hub-drive seeks to improve mobility through enhanced power, torque, integral braking and high efficiency, in a unit that can be contained within a 20” wheel rim. It aims to increase survivability by removing drive shafts and gearboxes, which can become lethal to occupants in the event of an IED detonation beneath the vehicle. The absence of these components could also reduce weight and open up future design possibilities, such as fully independent suspension with significantly increased travel.

Dr David Moore, Director of Research Services at QinetiQ, said: “Like cavalry horses throughout history, vehicles risk becoming less mobile as they are loaded with more armour and weaponry to meet the evolving demands of warfare. Our hub-drive tackles that threat by combining optimum performance with a significant weight saving, which is critical for mobility. It also introduces a far greater degree of architectural flexibility, enabling vehicles to be configured in ways which offer greater protection to their occupants.

“For us, this contract offers an opportunity to show how our expertise, built through 17 years of developing electro-mechanical transmissions for tracked and wheeled vehicles, can help customers de-risk the future.”

www.qinetiq-blogs.com

Tags: DARPA, QinetiQ
Posted in Contracts, Mobility, Press Release | 13 Comments »