Bordusani Romania, June 2019: M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles assigned to 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division cross the Danube river during the culminating exercise of Saber Guardian 19, an exercise co-led by Romanian Land Forces and US Army Europe designed to improve the integration of multinational combat forces. (Army photo by Staff Sgt. True Thao)
By: FEDweek StaffArmy technology specialists and industry partners are moving forward with the effort to field a hybrid-powered Bradley fighting vehicle.
During a Jan. 28 demonstration BAE Systems’ Sterling Heights, Michigan, facility, the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) turned a prototype vehicle on for the first time. The milestone event is one of the first in a series that will eventually help service leaders determine if and when they should fully commit to hybrid technologies. BAE and the Army have an agreement for the manufacturer to produce and deliver two Bradleys retrofitted with hybrid electric technology.
“The BHEV [Bradley Hybrid Electric Vehicle] prototype truly has the potential to improve how our soldiers execute their missions while providing the Army with a cost-effective advantage on the battlefield,” said Stanley Darbro, the office’s deputy director. “We’re executing this approach through a 24-month rapid prototyping effort with the expectation it will provide proven increased operational capability for Army-wide application.”
The Army and BAE intend to conduct further tests of the prototypes at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, beginning in June.
By year’s end, another series of field tests will take place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. During that sequence of tests, the team will compare performance data between the two hybrid vehicles and with conventionally powered Bradleys. They hope to learn more about how hybrid technology can improve fuel economy and range without accommodations for size, weight and power, reducing fuel consumption by 20 percent in the process. If the endeavor pans out, the hybrid Bradleys should be able to operate with less wear on parts. Additionally, because the vehicles’ power trains are essentially silent when operating in hybrid mode, they should be much harder for enemies to detect.
The Army also is interested in eventually applying hybrid technology to Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) and HMMWVs. Contractors should expect contract awards sometime this month for the HMMWV and in March for the JLTV.
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