Lockheed Martin [LMT] said it successfully completed a technology demonstration for its 8×8 armored, modular HAVOC vehicle that is competing on the Marine Personnel Carrier vehicle program.
In August 2012, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Iveco Defense Vehicles and ST Kinetics/SAIC each received $3.5 million technology demonstration contracts.
“We just concluded the technology demonstration on July 12,” Ric Magness, director of Ground Vehicles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, told Defense Daily. At the Marines’ Camp Pendleton, Calif., the HAVOC vehicle demonstrated its swimming capability in the surf and near surf to show its performance in the water.
It was at Modern Day Marine a year ago that Lockheed Martin revealed HAVOC (Defense Daily, Sept. 25, 2012).
The off-the-shelf HAVOC is based on a Patria 8×8 design, and more than 1,200 baseline models have been delivered or have been ordered by six countries, and some used the vehicle in Afghanistan. Finland owns 73.2 percent of Patria; Airbus Group owns 26.8 percent.
With its dual propellers, HAVOC can churn through the water at some 6 knots, and once on land reach 65 miles per hour.
Additionally, there were human factors tests, to ensure that HAVOC could fit the required number of Marines–nine infantrymen and all their kit consisting of backpacks, weapons, body armor, and helmets. The vehicle had to show that the infantry fit “comfortably” inside, and would be able to get out in a hurry once they arrived at their destination.
Other tests revolved around the vehicle’s protection system and were done at the Nevada Automotive Test Center, Magness said. “We passed all the threats the customer had tested against at the threshold and objective levels.”
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| HAVOC Photo: Lockheed Martin |
The Marines put dummies inside HAVOC so they could determine the kind of forces they were subjected to and might experience in combat, Magness said. They determined there would not be serious injuries to Marines inside the vehicle.
With testing concluded, the Marines are putting together a final report. The program concludes at the end of the year and further work–engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) would be competitive.
For Lockheed Martin, the tests also were important. “We validated our modeling of the protection systems and now we have a good computer model of how armor reacts under different threats.”
That knowledge can be used as the company works responses to the Marines on upgrading their amphibious assault vehicle (AAV). “The Marines in the process now of soliciting ideas on how to upgrade existing AAVs, which have been in service some 40 years,” Magness said. Marines want to extend the vehicles’ life and make them more survivable.
Lockheed Martin can use technology and information from the test program to the AAV program.
A request for proposals is expected for the AAV upgrades before the end of the year or early next year, he said. Technology such as command and control and the electronic architecture used in the HAVOC can migrate into the amphibious vehicle, which would be more near term.
Lockheed Martin has upgraded the command and control portion of almost 50 Marine Light Armored Vehicles (LAV)–a program now complete. That information as well, feeds into what could be done with the AAV, Magness said.