Articles

How do you determine what direction the military vehicles market with follow in 2013? According to Mike Micucci, VP Expeditionary Programs, for Textron Marine and Land Systems, ‘following the money’ and keeping the lines of communications open, are critical to ensuring Industry understands future DoD priorities. The following interview examines the current challenges for OEM’s in tough fiscal times. Mr. Miccuci also identifies some of the most efficient and effective integration and production methods being used to develop the next generation of Military Vehicles. Read more

In the modern battlefield, weight reduction of combat vehicles is the most critical challenge in armor design. Weight has a strong effect on power, mobility and maneuverability. The purpose is to obtain maximum protection with minimum weight penalty. The most effective and advanced protection technologies are the Reactive Armor and the Active Protection Systems. Read more

There are a multitude of challenges of overseeing a large and diverse tactical fleet, not least of which is sharing the stages of numerous projects to relevant partners within the defense community as well as industry. In Canada, those challenges fall in part to Lieutenant - Colonel Tim Hall, Project Director, Tactical Support Vehicle System (TSVS), National Defence. Read more

As shifting theater requirements and increasingly harsh budget realities continue to influence the roles of US tactical military vehicles, it is becoming increasingly essential for vehicles to maximize their longevity and effectiveness. One way for that maximization to occur is to develop systems that don’t merely report when a vehicle has a maintenance issue, but to predict when those issues might occur and prevent them. Read more

As tactical armored vehicles become increasingly vulnerable to detection and interception due to evolving surveillance technologies, developing effective counter-technologies has become an urgent military requirement, according to one leading observer. Read more

An exclusive IDGA Q&A with Dr. Jeffrey C. Banks, Department Head – Complex System Monitoring & Automation, Applied Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Banks discusses emerging electrical power technological advances in tactical vehicles, as well as ongoing vehicle health management. Read more

An IDGA Q&A with Dr. Uday Vaidya, Director, Materials Processing and Applications Development Composites Center. Dr. Vaidya talks about the primary program drivers for lightweight materials use, recent advances in technology that have contributed to reducing vehicle mass, gaps in the implementation of lightweight materials, and cost-effective manufacturing processes for lightweight components. Read more

William Graveline, responsible for major Army acquisitions for the General Accountability Office, talks about lessons learned from the JLTV technology development phase, budgetary evolution within the tactical vehicle arena, and the primary challenges on the horizon for JLTV and HMMWVV. Read more

New developments in composite materials derived from recycled plastics are offering markedly increased life-cycles—as well as lower costs—for military transportation through their utilization in the construction of bridges, a leader in the field says. Read more

In the last decades, warfare of the modern era is characterized as a conflict between two unbalanced forces: on one hand, an army rich with technologies and fighting capabilities, and on the other hand, non military organizations, insurgents, equipped with low technology and basic low cost weapons. This type of warfare is defined as “Asymmetric Conflict.” Read more

IDGA examines efforts to improve vehicles' level of protection against mines and IEDs, the impact of add-on armor weight on performance, and acquisition trends going forward. Read more