In conjunction with industry partners and vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), NP Aerospace is responsible for delivering tasks that maintain and sustain the life of proven military platforms, implementing vehicle upgrades to meet global safety and legislation requirements.
Upgrades range in scale and complexity from lighting and mirror solutions, software enhancements and communication system upgrades, through to full scale re-engineering programmes to deliver critical performance capabilities.
We rebuild battle-damaged vehicles, restoring them to fully operational conditions and upgrade vehicle systems according to customer requirements. Outlined below are examples of complex upgrade projects which were successfully delivered by our team.
Offroad System Architecture
Mastiff and Ridgback heavy armoured vehicles can now achieve impressive offroad performance following a major engineering upgrade delivered by NP Aerospace and partners through the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Protected Mobility Engineering Technical Support (PMETS) contract.
The vehicles proven on operation in Afghanistan and Iraq, now feature state of the art high mobility suspension systems, ride height control, upgraded driveline, steering and braking systems, central tyre inflation systems and increased diameter tyres. These new vehicle systems have been implemented within the Ridgback and Mastiff to increase mobility, enhance safety and introduce new capabilities.
The new and improved performance capabilities of the Ridgback and Mastiff include a maximum speed of 90 kph on road and 55 kph off road, reduced noise and vibration, as well as the ability to achieve 60% inclines.
The engineering upgrade was to support the British Army on Operation Newcombe in Mali, Africa during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Partners on the programme include HORIBA-MIRA, Horstman, Texelis, Tyron and Universal Fabrications. Mastiff and Ridgback XC vehicles were deployed to the UK MoD in 18 months, with the first prototypes delivered in just over 80 working days despite COVID-19 restrictions being in place.
Hybrid Electric Drive
In collaboration with General Dynamics Land Systems UK, Supacat and Magtec, NP Aerospace developed the hybrid electric drive Foxhound and Jackal prototype vehicles, showcasing them at the DSEI event in London in 2021 with a live demonstration of their silent mobility capabilities. The demonstration followed a testing programme at UTAC Millbrook proving ground.
The hybrid vehicles were delivered as part of the electric-drive demonstrator programme for the PMETS contract, which places NP Aerospace as engineering authority for the UK MoD protected mobility fleet. General Dynamics Land Systems UK and Supacat are the partner vehicle OEMs, and Magtec is the electric drive and battery technology partner.
The hybrid electric e-drive solution is intended to deliver multiple technical and operational enhancements, including silent mobility, enhanced silent watch capabilities, off-board electrical power and increased onboard power for the insertion of the latest technologies. The production of demonstrator vehicles will enable the MoD to analyse the operational impact of new technical capabilities.
Significant insights were gained in the development of these hybrid electric drive vehicles that will help guide the future direction and hybridization of UK vehicles. We are looking forward to expanding on the technology presented for future platform integration.