NP Aerospace, in collaboration with General Dynamics Land Systems UK, Supacat and Magtec, are continuing to deliver on the hybrid electric-drive demonstrator programme which was kicked off in June 2020 following a £3m contract award by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The hybrid electric drive Foxhound and Jackal vehicles were showcased at the DSEI event in London this week in a live demonstration showing their silent mobility capabilities. The demonstration followed a testing programme at Millbrook.
Whilst the contract has been running for a relatively short time, significant insights have been gained that will help guide the future direction and hybridization of UK vehicles. NP Aerospace is looking forward to expanding on the technology presented for future platform integration.
The contract award is part of the Protected Mobility Engineering & Technical Support (PMETS) programme which is being led by NP Aerospace as the Engineering Authority for the vehicle 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; 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. Previous comments on the project from NP Aerospace and the delivery partners included:
David Petheram, Chief Operating Officer, NP Aerospace, said: “The hybrid electric drive project is a significant development that will further extend the technical capabilities of the vehicles and is an important advancement in the incorporation of new technology. It will provide a greater understanding of what hybrid technology could achieve, whilst also looking to the future in terms of integrating additional sophisticated electronics across the PMETS vehicle fleet.”
Carew Wilks, Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics Land Systems–UK, said: “As technology develops to meet the future operating needs of the British Army, the demand for onboard power only increases, and electrification of land vehicles offers an innovative solution. Foxhound, the British Army light infantry vehicle of choice, already has an architecture that enables electrification and is a natural choice for this demonstrator.”
Nick Ames, SC Group-Global CEO, said: “We have the skills and knowledge to work with our project partners in making the well-respected Jackal vehicle “hybrid drive” and thereby offer enhanced silent watch, stealth operation and improved power export capabilities for soldiers and their equipment. This is a very exciting project and clearly shows the British Army moving towards a non-hydrocarbon. This fits perfectly with our current and future strategy.”
Andrew Gilligan, Managing Director, Magtec, said: “Magtec is a UK leader in the design and manufacture of electric vehicle drive systems and is proud to be supporting the British Army in the development of new technology to protect British troops when they are on the move. Magtec has a strong track record in delivering drive systems for the most demanding applications.”
