Engineering news
BAE Systems' unarmoured all-terrain vehicle, which can climb 45-degree slopes and carry more cargo than any other vehicle of its kind, has been launched at DSEI in London.
The new vehicle, called “Beowulf,” is based on the company’s Viking BvS10 fighting, troop-carrying and logistics vehicle that was initially designed in Sweden for the UK Royal Marines.
Beowulf has a payload capacity of eight tonnes and built-in flexibility with special role cabins in the rear car to carry a combination of personnel and cargo. The vehicle can traverse through water, swamps, snow and soft sand; and climb 45-degree slopes. BAE Systems said that Beowulf also features increased crew comfort and visibility, and is easy to maintain and support, resulting in reduced operational costs.
Tore Akser, platform manager at BAE Systems Hägglunds, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, in the United States, said: “We know from more than 40 years of all-terrain vehicle experience that there is a need for an unarmoured vehicle that can reach places other systems cannot, carry a high payload and do it around the clock regardless of weather conditions.”
BAE Systems said that it sees Beowulf as a successor to its Bv206. More than 12,000 of the fibre-glass bodied vehicles were built and the majority are still in service with military and emergency services in more than 40 countries around the world. BAE Systems said: “Beowulf is well placed to meet a recently declared requirement from the UK Royal Marines for approximately 230 vehicles, in a range of variants to replace the Marines’ 350 Bv206s.”
Though aimed primarily at the military market, Beowulf is also expected to attract interest for carrying out civilian missions in areas difficult to access.
Meanwhile, BAE Systems has begun night trials on the Striker II helmet-mounted display (HMD), the company’s most advanced fighter pilot helmet, to evaluate its digital night vision capability. Successful trials will lead the way to a fully integrated digital night vision helmet replacing the need for traditional analogue night vision goggles.
Developed and tested by BAE Systems, Striker II is a fully digital solution that provides combat pilot with advanced night vision and target tracking technology. BAE Systems has begun evaluating the digital night vision capability through a series of night flight trials from its Military Air & Information business in Warton, Lancashire.
Peter Kosogorin, test pilot for BAE Systems, said: “Striker II has a high-definition, lightweight night vision camera which translates information and displays it on the helmet’s visor. This removes the need for heavy night vision goggles which increase g-force pressures on the head and neck, limiting the pilot’s manoeuvrability in the cockpit. The helmet provides a clear and accurate visual display and a seamless transition from day to night, eliminating the need to manually configure and adjust night vision goggles.”
Striker II also includes a tracking system that ensures the pilot’s exact head position and the aircraft computer system are continuously in sync, reducing problems common to other HMD’s, said BAE Systems. The tracking system in Striker II eliminates any delay in determining where the pilot is looking and can therefore accurately position symbology onto the visor. This allows for high-precision target tracking and engagement.
BAE Systems will continue to evaluate the helmet’s integration with Typhoon aircraft in another series of flight trials later this year.