Defence Vehicle Dynamics 2010

[buglerbilly]

This annual UK Military Vehicle show will be held today and tomorrow. The focus of the show is Military Vehicles being shown on the Trials tracks and grounds, so heavily a mobility show; I'll post matters of interest here.............



Oshkosh Defense to Demonstrate New SandCat M-LPV Performance Capabilities at DVD 2010

18:27 GMT, June 22, 2010 OSHKOSH, Wis. | Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), will be demonstrating several highly mobile and protected vehicles at this year’s Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD), including the new SandCat Mine-Resistant Light Patrol Vehicle (M-LPV). The M-LPV provides protection from in-theater threats, such as mines and improvised explosive devices (IED), and delivers the SandCat platform’s exceptional mobility and maneuverability for missions on varying terrains.

DVD 2010 will be taking place at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, England, from June 23 - 24. Oshkosh will be exhibiting at stand OR-31/OR-33 during the event.

“The SandCat M-LPV is ideal for militaries and a wide range of security forces that need a protected, agile vehicle for missions facing the dangers of modern battlefield threats such as IEDs and armor-piercing bullets,” said Ron Ziebell, Oshkosh Defense vice president and general manager, International Programs. “We will demonstrate the vehicle’s small turning radius, off-road capabilities and exceptional ride quality to the U.K. Ministry of Defence at DVD. It is these features that will give forces the handling they need for challenging environments, from bustling, narrow city streets to rocky, mountainous landscapes.”

To date, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canada and Israel have ordered SandCat variants, which also include utility, transport and Special Operations Vehicle (SOV). Customers are using the vehicles for border patrol, security missions and military operations, including in Afghanistan.

Oshkosh also will be demonstrating its MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) and a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) 8x8 Load Handling System (LHS) at DVD 2010.

The M-ATV was developed to meet an urgent need in Afghanistan for a vehicle that delivered MRAP-level protection capabilities but with enhanced mobility. The M-ATV is built around a proven chassis and uses the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system to achieve a 70 percent off-road profile capability. This enhanced mobility, which includes 16 inches (40 centimeters) of independent wheel travel, helps the vehicle traverse cross-country terrain or unimproved road networks in places like Afghanistan.

The Oshkosh MTVR delivers the mobility needed for extensive off-road logistics missions. The vehicle, like the M-ATV, uses the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system to deliver a 70 percent off-road profile capability. Oshkosh has produced more than 10,000 of these highly mobile tactical trucks. Additionally, several MTVRs have exceeded 70,000 operational miles (112,650 kilometers) on the challenging Afghanistan terrain and have maintained readiness rates greater than 92 percent.

[buglerbilly]

Marshall Land Systems Shows its Range of Capabilities on Stand SP-06

17:58 GMT, June 22, 2010 Cambridge | Trucks, shelters, workshops and unmanned ground vehicles are all featured on the Marshall Land Systems stand, SP-06, at DVD being held at Millbrook Proving Ground near Bedford on 23 and 24 June 2010. The company is also exhibiting on the MAN Trucks and Bus UK, Iveco and DS&TE stands.

Marshall VE, part of Cambridge based Marshall Land Systems, will be showing its capability in building load beds for military logistic vehicles on a number of stands across the show. On the Marshall Land Systems stand will be a Renault Sherpa Light Tactical Utility vehicle fitted with a load bed capable of carrying four pallets and a payload of 5,000 Kg.

On the Iveco stand, OR 18-20, and the cross country course there will be a 4 seater LMV Protected Utility (PU) vehicle, which has been fitted with a load bed able to carry two NATO pallets and is aimed at meeting evolving requirements world wide for small high mobility and highly protected utility and logistics vehicles. There will also be a Trakker 6x6 heavy duty logistic vehicle fitted with a 20ft ISO compatible loadbed and cargo system. These vehicles, together with an upgraded Iveco Panther will be undertaking a co-ordinated demonstration on the mobility area.

On the MAN Truck and Bus UK stand, OR 35-38, and cross country demonstration area a MAN TGM logistic vehicle is being exhibited with an in-service UK MOD HX60 6 tonne loadbed and dropsides. This combination of a lightweight high performance military loadbed and militarised commercial vehicle, which utilises the same automotive components as the HX60 tactical vehicle, offers users a cost effective solution for training fleets without the need for additional or different, driver and/or maintainer training.

Launched at DVD is the Support Workshop Hub or SWHub. This is a new concept in maintenance and support. It is a fully fitted transportable workshop housed in a Marshall SV shelter. It can be deployed to major customer sites where maintenance and support facilities are constantly required rather than a visiting engineer arriving in his van. It provides space for the engineer to work protected from the weather and with all the tools and facilities close to hand. This will ensure that the customer’s fleet of vehicles has reduced downtimes and less disruption.

The multi-role TRAKKAR UGV will be demonstrating its ability to follow its operator as he/she moves across the battlefield. The 4x4 platform, which can carry a 250kg payload, is fitted with a receiver on the vehicle which is linked to the vehicle control system whilst the soldier has a small transmitter and a PDA sized control unit. The soldier is presented with a simple three button interface for common commands, such as “follow me” “catch up” and “return to last RV”. TRAKKAR can also follow a pre programmed route.

A second UGV, QUESTAR, launched at Eurosatory 2010 will be on display. A small agile fast UGV, its payload can be tailored to the operational requirements and can include communications re-broadcast; optical, IR or thermal imaging sensors; radar, CBRNE reconnaissance systems; and can be fitted with an extending mast to provide a remotely operated sensor platform with the ability to look over obstacles. QUESTAR can be configured to meet any number of operationally dangerous missions such as CIED work, CBRN Recce, Deployed/Detached/Roving surveillance, threat detection and sentry tasks and route reconnaissance. Its small size and speed make it a difficult target. Its simplicity makes it a life and manpower saver.

On the Deployable Support and Test Equipment (DS&TE) stand, OR 03, Marshall SV is displaying with the IPT a Deployable Machine Shop (DMS), the last of which was delivered six months early in the first quarter of 2010; the Power Pack Refurbishment Facility (PPRF); and a recently delivered battery charging facility which is being trialled by the RAF.

The Marshall Land Systems Plasan Joint Venture will also be present on stand SP-05.

[buglerbilly]

British Troops In Afghanistan To Get New Armored Vehicles

By ANDREW CHUTER

Published: 23 Jun 2010 07:46

Britain's troops fighting in Afghanistan are set to get an equipment boost following an announcement of a raft of new armored vehicle orders by Ministry of Defence procurement minister Peter Luff at a land systems show in the U.K.


The Supacat Jackal (ROYAL NAVY)

Luff said the military would be getting 140 additional Jackal 2 patrol vehicles from British producer Supacat and an extra 28 Wolfhound heavy tactical support vehicles from Force Protection.

Together the two orders are worth 65 million pounds ($97 million).

Prime Minister David Cameron announced the new Conservative-led government's intention to spend an additional 65 million pounds on force protection during his first visit to Afghanistan after the May election. Now Luff has painted in the detail as he opened the MoD organized DVD show at the Millbrook vehicle test track in Southern England.

The new order for Supacat takes the number of Jackals to more than 500.

The latest order is for the 2A version of the patrol vehicle, which sports an enhanced protection cab.

Supacat managing director Nick Ames said the company was already working on how they can build in more protection for Jackal crews. He said there is a desire to upgrade all Jackal variants to the higher standard once the new work had been completed.

Some of the vehicles for the orders announced by Luff are already coming off the production line.

The Wolfhound deal with Force Protection takes British orders for the truck to 125.

The MoD originally ordered 97 machines in April 2009 as part of a 350 million pound ($521 million) tactical support vehicle program involving over 400 vehicles of various sizes.

Wolfhound is the truck variant of the Mastiff mine protected vehicle, better known outside the U.K. as the 6x6 Cougar.

[buglerbilly]

UK MoD awards £45m contract for over 140 Jackal 2a vehicles to Supacat and Babcock



Images of the JACKAL 2A to follow tomorrow or sooner...............

10:13 GMT, June 23, 2010 The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £45m contract to the Supacat–Babcock industry alliance for over 140 further Jackal weapons-mounted 4x4 patrol vehicles to support operations in Afghanistan. The new order will bring the total number of Jackal vehicles in service with the UK Armed Forces to over 400, in 3 configurations; Jackal 1, Jackal 2 and this latest improved variant, Jackal 2a.

Production of the Jackal 2a vehicle uplift commenced in February 2010, immediately following on from final delivery of a UOR contract placed with the Supacat–Babcock alliance in April 2009 for approximately 120 Jackal 2 and more than 70 new 6x6 ‘Coyote’ Tactical Support Vehicle (Light) (TSV(L)). This contract has been completed successfully to a high quality standard and on time.

The upgraded Jackal 2a is an enhanced version of the successful Jackal 2 with the design changes driven by direct operational feedback. The primary change is the introduction of a new cab design with integrated mine blast protection which simplifies production and improves the performance over that offered by the previous system fitted to Jackal 2.

Dubbed `Jackal` by UK Armed Forces, it has proved its supreme versatility as a weapons-mounted light patrol vehicle in Afghanistan, combining speed and maneovrability with unparalleled cross-country performance over the region’s harsh terrain.

Supacat and Babcock formed an industry alliance to ensure UK Armed Forces receive the best equipment in the shortest possible timescale. Supacat is prime contractor and as the design authority is responsible for design, development, prototyping, integration and overall programme management. Babcock is responsible for detailed production planning, purchasing and manufacture at their Devonport facility.

Nick Ames said, “This order is a further endorsement of the performance of Jackal on operations in Afghanistan and of the agility of the Supacat–Babcock alliance to deliver against demanding timescales”.

Roger Gillespie, Equipment Solutions Managing Director, Babcock, said “The Jackal vehicle has been a resounding success and these additional Jackal 2a’s will further enhance the operational capabilities of our troops in theatre. The ability of the Supacat-Babcock Alliance to consistently deliver these vehicles also provides military planners with assurance of our continued support.”

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Ares at UK's Defense Vehicle Dynamics

Posted by Sean Meade at 6/23/2010 8:37 AM CDT

Angus Batey writes:

The sun may be shining on the Defense Equipment and Support (DE&S)-run Defense Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) show this year, but it'll take more than an outbreak of British summer over the Millbrook Proving Grounds in Bedfordshire to dispel the dark economic clouds that provide the event's inescapable backdrop. Even while announcing his first equipment buys since taking office, the new Minister for Defense Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff (Con, Mid Worcestershire), was unable to ignore the state of Britain's public finances, and the inevitable impact this will have across the defense sector.

During his speech to open DVD this morning, the minister announced a new £45m ($67m) buy of over 140 Supacat/Babcock Jackal 2A 4x4 weapons-mounted patrol vehicles, taking the UK Jackal fleet size above 400, and a further £20m ($30m) spend on 28 new Wolfhound vehicles, IST Ltd's truck variant of the Mastiff. Both procurements are under the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) system, funded from the Treasury reserve. Yet Luff had little choice but to adopt the tone set by Chancellor George Osbourne in his emergency budget yesterday (Tuesday June 22) which presages a prolonged period of belt-tightening and deep cuts in public spending.

"We cannot insure against every imaginable risk," Luff told delegates to DVD, which this year has more exhibitors - over 300 - than ever before. The comprehensive Strategic Defense Review (SDR), which is expected to be delivered by October 20, gives the UK an "opportunity to dispense with the legacy of the Cold War."

"We have to bring defense policy, commitments and resources into balance," Luff warned. "[The SDR] will be a step change, not just tinkering at the edges. Our posture and capabilities must be relevant to the world we now live in. It's clear the years of plenty are over and we face leaner years: defense is no exception. We will need to decide which [risks] we are going to meet, and which we are going to take."

The response of industry at DVD seems in step with this new austerity. The big draws at the show have already debuted elsewhere - Luff was flanked by the two competitors for the MoD's Lightweight Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) program, both of which appeared at Eurosatory, and elsewhere. Rather than launches of ambitious new systems, the underlying theme here is about interoperability and integration - how, if not exactly learning to do more with less, defense contractors and MoD can better work together to provide integrated and effective solutions quickly and at lower cost.

Among the key initiatives being promoted here are the newly formed Integrated Soldier System Executive's concept of the Soldier System Architecture, and DE&S's Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) program. The former seeks to view the soldier as a platform, and find ways of making it work more efficiently - from lighter kit with interoperable functionality to enhanced portable water purification technology - while formulating a vision of what the "soldier system" should look like over the next ten years.

The GVA program takes a similar holistic approach to land vehicles, with industry and DE&S working together to develop a new Defense Standard (Def Stan 23-09) which will be implemented first on the LPPV. The concept is born of necessity: DE&S note that for military land vehicles, the fiscal value of on-board systems typically exceeds the price of the platform, while the costs of systems integration often add as much again to the overall cost. Working with industry to develop an open, non-proprietary architecture within which new add-on systems can be added to a vehicle easily, and be operated through a common user interface, force protection technologies can be deployed much more quickly and at considerably reduced cost both in terms of systems integration, software development and crew training. It may not have the glamour of the big-ticket buy, but for the foreseeable future, such programs are likely to become as important to defense contractors as they will be to service personnel.

(An in-depth look at one of the GVA demonstrator programs, the Qinetiq-led Vehicle Technology Integration Demonstrator, will appear in the July edition of Defense Technology International.)

[buglerbilly]

Something I've not seen before, the relatively new Oshkosh 8x8 MTVR as opposed to the usual 6x6 in widespread service with the USMC...........wheel/axle layout differs from most 8X8 albeit it makes sense whe used as a heavyweight DROPS-type vehicle as it is here.............




The MTVR 8x8 LHS has a payload capacity of up to 16.5 tons and, like all MTVR variants, uses the TAK-4 system to deliver exceptional off-road mobility for extensive cross-country operations. Oshkosh has produced more than 10,000 MTVRs, several of which have exceeded 70,000 operational miles on the challenging Afghanistan terrain, with readiness rates greater than 92 percent. The vehicle also is available in cargo truck, dump truck, tractor and wrecker (recovery) variants.

There is also a 4x4 version not often seen..............

[buglerbilly]

Buffalo IED vehicle c/w Bar/Cage armour...........damn this thing looks fugly! Effective but fugly..........



There is a bunch of additional gear installed on that vehicle to do with mine protection and blocking of remote triggering of devices......

[buglerbilly]

All-terrain Dozer c/w Bar/cage armoured Cab...............



This one is the JCB HMEE

Overview

Originally built specifically for the US military using proven technology, the JCB HMEE is a backhoe loader which offers excellent earthmoving, excavating and loading performance and is capable of travelling at up to 88kph (55mph) on the road, with superb off-highway performance.

The spacious cab is fully air-conditioned, with industry-standard controls and displays. It offers full crew protection and is fully tested to comply with blast and ballistic and ROPS and FOPS standards.

Features

Ability to self-deploy at up to 55mph
15 ton, 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steer machine with a 6.7-litre engine for ultimate power and productivity
Lift capacity of more than 4,400 lbs
Dig depth of over 12 feet
Full crew protection with fully air-conditioned cab

[buglerbilly]

Ridgeback being used as an Ambulance...........lots of Bar/cage armour of course.........I hope they don't put the Red Cross aiming marks in real-life tactical situations...............

[buglerbilly]

SANDCAT M-LPV a new variant of the vehicle...........




At DVD 2010, the international defence equipment exhibition of Millbrook (United Kingdom), Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), present a new version of the SandCat, the M-LPV Mine-Protected Light Patrol Vehicle. With an highest level of performance and protection, the SandCat M-LPV is the solution for the special operations, security, and surveillance patrols missions. The SandCat can run in any terrain condition, as desert, jungle, mountain or urban. The SandCat M-LPV has a compact profile that offers superior off-road performance. It moves swiftly, easily and can carry more crew and equipment. The SandCat M-LPV can carried four soldiers with an option for two more. Backed by worldwide Oshkosh Defense logistic support, Warfighters will always be ready – anytime, anywhere – with the SandCat M-LPV.

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Ares at DVD -- Just Not Enough Time

Posted by Sean Meade at 6/24/2010 12:58 PM CDT

He writes this report and NOT a single picture......................:shakehead

Angus Batey writes:

The biggest problem with DVD 2010 - the annual UK trade show/talking shop for stakeholders in the defense land and supply chain communities - is that its two-day duration is nowhere near long enough to do more than scratch the surface of the technologies available for inspection. Hundreds of exhibitors from industry and various departments of DE&S (Defense Equipment and Support -- the Ministry of Defense department based in Bristol which runs DVD) are encamped across different parts of the sprawling Millbrook vehicle test facility, with buses shuttling delegates and visitors between sites and facilities. Even Millbrook's high-speed circuit has been put to use - as the visitors' car park.

The layout helps make some sense of the show, and reinforces key themes. At the hub of Millbrook's Steering Pad, between concentric rings of stands from exhibitors such as Qinetiq, NP Aerospace and Yamaha, sits DE&S's Generic Vehicle Architecture project team, while beyond them in the Concept 4 hall, the first display that greets visitors is that from the Integrated Soldier System Executive, DE&S's year-old project to equip the troops of 2020 with the best kit at an optimum weight. Both initiatives are about developing open architectures into which developers' products can be easily assimilated without simply piling on box after packet after cable.

Out on the Off Road display area (past the life-size inflatable Scud and SAM missile launchers: a training aid for air crews), similar thinking is in evidence even among some of the colossal military vehicles that are constantly on the move from the stands and on to Millbrook's all-terrain test track. The Talisman system, an Urgent Operational Requirement solution developed by DE&S's Manoeuvre Support Team deployed to Afghanistan in March of this year, is less a new set of equipment than a means of linking a series of platforms together to achieve a complex goal. The need - to clear routes for subsequent safe passage - has been answered by means of linking modified Mastiff and Buffalo vehicles (from Force Protection International Inc), a JCB High Mobility Engineer Excavator, a TALON robot (Qinetiq/Foster-Millar) and a Honeywell T-Hawk micro-UAV together to provide a system that can identify mine and IED threats and clear them safely.

The ability to get on board the platforms as they scuttle around the off-road track is a big part of the DVD experience. Among the most popular attractions has been ST Kinetics' Warthog, an articulated tracked armoured ATV, modified for the MoD by Thales UK, which is making its debut at DVD (it was here last year, but not in its final iteration). The British have bought over 100 of the vehicles to replace BAE Systems' Viking, which to the untrained eye appears almost identical: ST Kinetics maintain the Warthog offers greater payload with comparable levels of protection. You certainly feel pretty secure in its rear compartment: an impression perhaps helped by the limited view of the ground behind you through its single small rear window. And just as you were thinking the name must have been just the next best one available after all the cooler-sounding fierce animals (Coyote, Jackal, Mastiff) had been taken, a quick spin around the off-road track reveals the truth: as it honks, grunts and snarls its way through water or up and down steep muddy banks, it becomes apparent that the Warthog may be most aptly named technology in the show.

[buglerbilly]

TMV 6x6 Military Special Forces Reconnaissance vehicle



I'm not sure whether to hate this, like this or just burst out laughing..............????

General information

A significant new chapter in the development of British military vehicle manufacturer, TMV, begins at the DVD 2010 show today with the unveiling of a fully-functioning six-wheel drive, six-wheel steer military vehicle in Special Forces guise. The newcomer is part of the on-going development of the innovative TMV platform and modular product range, with production scheduled for 2011. The TMV6x6M SF, which was demonstrated on the off-road course throughout the duration of the DVD 2010, comes just twelve months after TMV revealed the vehicle prototype. Responding to the changing nature of military threat, and its impact on the requirements of utility vehicles deployed in conflict situations, TMV adopted a fresh and unique design strategy and developed the vehicle concept from a clean sheet of paper, rather than accept compromise by modifying an existing platform.

Variants :

The TMV military vehicle range includes all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 variants, using a common chassis and running gear.

Technical data

Armament

The TMV 6x6M SF presented at DVD 2010 was equipped with a ring weapon system, armed with two 12.7 mm calibre machine guns, another 7.62 mm machine gun was mounted at the front of the vehicle.

Protection

The TMV 6x6M is designed to provide enhanced levels of protection against mines and IEDs (up to STANAG 4 levels of protection). To achieve best blast protection for occupants and minimise transmitted energy, a twin ‘V’ hull design has been developed by TMV and is universally used in the construction of all TMV model variants. It is constructed of stainless steel formers clad with belly blast plate throughout, its shape facilitating the dissipation of the blast energy wave at the point of impact, and also at the base of the occupant-protected cell. Located above the unique, integral V-shaped hull, the 6x6M modular superstructure is a layered approach of high-technology materials designed to minimise the weight of the appropriate protection solution.

Propulsion

The TMV 6x6M SF is powered by a mid-mounted Cummins ISBe5 in-line four-cylinder, 4,500cc turbocharged, water-cooled diesel engine, with a power output of 147 kilowatts (200bhp), generating up to 900Nm of torque. In the TMV 6x6M, this enables a limited top speed of 85mph/137 kph. As part of the design philosophy, the chassis has been packaged for all major four-cylinder long-stroke diesels commonly in use. The Allison 2500SP 6-speed, fully-automatic transmission utilised in the TMV 6x6M is also common to a wide range of military and civilian applications. It drives through a transfer gearbox with Hi and Lo ratios and via six Dana lockable differentials, which transfer the power via driveshafts to the six wheels. High power-to-weight ratio, coupled to permanent all-wheel-drive and adaptive all-wheel-steer, ensure a very high degree of on-road and off-road performance, with excellent manoeuvrability and approach/ departure angles (52%/50% respectively), due to minimal front and rear overhang. Fully-independent air suspension - assisted with twin coil-over dampers on all wheels - delivers excellent dynamic handling and good passenger comfort, and adjustable ride height allows the centre of gravity to be kept low for higher speed use, but crucially allows the vehicle to ride higher when a mine or IED threat is anticipated. The six-wheel steer system is adaptive, and can be programmed to allow touch-button change of steering configuration per axle, according to specific needs in the field.

Accessories

The TMV 6x6M SF has adjustable ride height, which can be raised if a perceived mine threat exists or lowered for higher speed operations where no threat is perceived. The seating configuration provides a very logical placing of occupants as far away from the front wheels as is possible , whilst maintaining a good level of visbility for off-road-conditions.

Specifications

Armament - Two 12.7 mm machine guns and one 7.62 mm machine gun.

Designer Company - TMV Limited

Accessories - Adjustable ride height.
Crew - 2 + 4 soldiers
Armor - V-shape, mine, IED's, armor piercing bullets protection (STANAG 4 maximum). Add-on armour
Weight - 7,500 kg
Speed - 137 km/h
Range - 1,120 km

Dimensions - Lenght, 5,84 m; Width, 2,36 m; Height, 2,7 m

[buglerbilly]

This is the TMV Light Truck the above 6x6 is based on...........we showed this last year..........not in any current UK programme to my knowledge?

[buglerbilly]

JACKAL 2 showing the new front cabin beefed up...............

[buglerbilly]

SPRINGER light ATV, basically used as a helicopter "gofer" carting cargo to/from helicopter landing sites.............

[buglerbilly]

UK-standard HET, VERY nice piece of kit, pity we don't have any...............



Complete with Trailer......................



............run in-service thru a PFI with Oshkosh UK, KBR and I think a third party whose name escapes for the moment?

[buglerbilly]

WOLFHOUND armoured truck and support vehicle for the MASTIFF's.............same vehicle family with half the vehicle a utility body/tray..............

[buglerbilly]

MASTIFF, no side windows here!

[buglerbilly]

COUGAR, the 4x4 version..........looks a hunk, very squat..............

[Milne Bay]

TMV 6x6 Military Special Forces Reconnaissance vehicle



I'm not sure whether to hate this, like this or just burst out laughing..............????

General information

A significant new chapter in the development of British military vehicle manufacturer, TMV, begins at the DVD 2010 show today with the unveiling of a fully-functioning six-wheel drive, six-wheel steer military vehicle in Special Forces guise. The newcomer is part of the on-going development of the innovative TMV platform and modular product range, with production scheduled for 2011. The TMV6x6M SF, which was demonstrated on the off-road course throughout the duration of the DVD 2010, comes just twelve months after TMV revealed the vehicle prototype. Responding to the changing nature of military threat, and its impact on the requirements of utility vehicles deployed in conflict situations, TMV adopted a fresh and unique design strategy and developed the vehicle concept from a clean sheet of paper, rather than accept compromise by modifying an existing platform.

Variants :

The TMV military vehicle range includes all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 variants, using a common chassis and running gear.

Technical data

Armament

The TMV 6x6M SF presented at DVD 2010 was equipped with a ring weapon system, armed with two 12.7 mm calibre machine guns, another 7.62 mm machine gun was mounted at the front of the vehicle.

Protection

The TMV 6x6M is designed to provide enhanced levels of protection against mines and IEDs (up to STANAG 4 levels of protection). To achieve best blast protection for occupants and minimise transmitted energy, a twin ‘V’ hull design has been developed by TMV and is universally used in the construction of all TMV model variants. It is constructed of stainless steel formers clad with belly blast plate throughout, its shape facilitating the dissipation of the blast energy wave at the point of impact, and also at the base of the occupant-protected cell. Located above the unique, integral V-shaped hull, the 6x6M modular superstructure is a layered approach of high-technology materials designed to minimise the weight of the appropriate protection solution.

Propulsion

The TMV 6x6M SF is powered by a mid-mounted Cummins ISBe5 in-line four-cylinder, 4,500cc turbocharged, water-cooled diesel engine, with a power output of 147 kilowatts (200bhp), generating up to 900Nm of torque. In the TMV 6x6M, this enables a limited top speed of 85mph/137 kph. As part of the design philosophy, the chassis has been packaged for all major four-cylinder long-stroke diesels commonly in use. The Allison 2500SP 6-speed, fully-automatic transmission utilised in the TMV 6x6M is also common to a wide range of military and civilian applications. It drives through a transfer gearbox with Hi and Lo ratios and via six Dana lockable differentials, which transfer the power via driveshafts to the six wheels. High power-to-weight ratio, coupled to permanent all-wheel-drive and adaptive all-wheel-steer, ensure a very high degree of on-road and off-road performance, with excellent manoeuvrability and approach/ departure angles (52%/50% respectively), due to minimal front and rear overhang. Fully-independent air suspension - assisted with twin coil-over dampers on all wheels - delivers excellent dynamic handling and good passenger comfort, and adjustable ride height allows the centre of gravity to be kept low for higher speed use, but crucially allows the vehicle to ride higher when a mine or IED threat is anticipated. The six-wheel steer system is adaptive, and can be programmed to allow touch-button change of steering configuration per axle, according to specific needs in the field.

Accessories

The TMV 6x6M SF has adjustable ride height, which can be raised if a perceived mine threat exists or lowered for higher speed operations where no threat is perceived. The seating configuration provides a very logical placing of occupants as far away from the front wheels as is possible , whilst maintaining a good level of visbility for off-road-conditions.

Specifications

Armament - Two 12.7 mm machine guns and one 7.62 mm machine gun.

Designer Company - TMV Limited

Accessories - Adjustable ride height.
Crew - 2 + 4 soldiers
Armor - V-shape, mine, IED's, armor piercing bullets protection (STANAG 4 maximum). Add-on armour
Weight - 7,500 kg
Speed - 137 km/h
Range - 1,120 km

Dimensions - Lenght, 5,84 m; Width, 2,36 m; Height, 2,7 m















When I look at this I can't get the word Maus out of my head.
MB