Qinetiq hybrid picked for US Army vehicles

Qinetiq's design for a hybrid drive transmission has been selected for staffed ground vehicle integration of the US Army's FCS future combat system as part of a US-based team led by BAE Systems.

Qinetiq's design for a hybrid drive transmission has been selected for staffed ground vehicle (MGV) integration of the US Army's FCS future combat system as part of a US-based team led by BAE Systems.

The lightweight transmission makes electric drive military vehicles a reality for the first time.

Qinetiq will develop its E-X-Drive tracked vehicle transmission as part of the overall traction drive system (TDS) for the US Army's planned fleet of tracked military vehicles.

BAE Systems' land and armaments business is working with Honeywell in the USA.

"Our design is set to revolutionise drive systems in specialist military and will be of undoubted interest to the UK's Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) and the Swedish future tracked vehicles programmes," said Graeme Ferrero, Qinetiq's Managing Director Defence Technology.

"In essence, the compact layout of the transmission system makes the difference".

The efficiency of the electric drive reduces power loss and, should any part of the system fail, there are built in back-up and safety features to take over.

It will also bring savings on fuel consumption.

The FCS is a network of 18 individual systems, plus the network, plus the soldier, and uses communications and technologies to link soldiers with staffed and unstaffed ground and air platforms and sensors.

The team's effort on TDS is for the systems design and development phase and covers the supply of prototype transmissions to the FCS project, which takes the system through to the ready for production stage.

The traction drive system's configuration also makes it suitable for technology upgrades into existing in-service platforms.

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