Army signs contract for new humvee! - Polidicks

[IMG]http://hybridabc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/FED_Image.jpg[/IMG] [release] Like most boys, Joel Zastrow grew up admiring the raw speed, riveting power and angular aesthetics of military fighter jets. But Zastrow, a College for Creative Studies (CCS) design student, also had a unique appreciation for Army ground vehicles.“They were very tough and looked cool,” he remarked.Zastrow’s design for the Army’s Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) model was chosen from three finalists as the blueprint for the FED Bravo model, which will serve as the second of two Army demonstrator vehicles to test fuel efficiency and safety systems that can be transferred to other vehicle platforms. Zastrow’s one-fifth scale model — clad in a camouflage pattern — went on public display for the first time at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January.Click image to enlarge.[IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset02_sm.jpg[/IMG]The NAIAS display also included the runner-up design (left) by CCS Design Student Robert Horner. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Chris Williams.) The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) contracted with CCS in Detroit as one of its collaborative partners for the FED program, which engaged a diverse team of systems engineers and technologists from academia and the automotive industry.Mingled among young Zastrow’s collection of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, model trains and remote control sports cars, there were also toy High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and assault vehicles.[B]“Each vehicle will be important to the FED team’s mission — to improve mpg by about 70 percent compared to a current M1114 HMMWV and reduce the Army’s thirst for fuel on the battlefield.” — [I]Carl Johnson, FED Team Leader, TARDEC[/I][/B] “I had a lot of little military vehicles, and I would pretend to drive them around the house,” recalled Zastrow, a CCS senior focusing on transportation design. “I’m also fascinated by fighter jets, especially the F-22 Raptor and F-117 Stealth. I definitely used them as inspiration for the FED Bravo vehicle.”His affection for Army vehicles finally found a practical application when TARDEC engineers came to the college in spring 2010 and announced they wanted fresh ideas for a military vehicle that would be built to maximize fuel efficiency.The development team considered two other vehicle designs from CCS Students Robert Horner and Jakob Bosnak, but chose Zastrow’s design as the template. The FED Bravo vehicle is the second demonstrator model in the program. It is currently undergoing component testing in preparation for a prototype vehicle to be built this spring. The first vehicle, FED Alpha, is expected to undergo testing this summer at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, following successful shakedown testing in Michigan.Click image to enlarge.[IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset03_sm.jpg[/IMG]Zastrow’s FED Bravo demonstrator rendering employs the triangular wheel well indents that direct air flow through the vehicle, helping cool the components. (Image courtesy of Joel Zastrow.) [B]Creating a ‘Monster’[/B] TARDEC and its contract partners designed and built the vehicles using two distinct approaches. FED Alpha was engineered with a more traditional systematic process working with automotive partners Ricardo plc and Select Engineering Services, while FED Bravo’s design grew out of a “Monster Garage” approach, mobilizing specialists from each area of vehicle design and engineering to brainstorm the best possible energy-efficient solutions. TARDEC worked with World Technical Solutions Inc. (WTSI) to coordinate the FED Bravo project.“Each vehicle will be important to the FED team’s mission — to improve miles per gallon [mpg] by about 70 percent compared to a current M1114 HMMWV and reduce the Army’s thirst for fuel on the battlefield,” explained FED Team Leader Carl Johnson.“What the designers did is not just styling — it’s packaging,” Johnson stated. “The packaging involves all the stuff that’s in the vehicle, so it’s more like an industrial design approach. It’s nice to get this model out in front of the public, but ultimately we have to get these vehicles in front of Soldiers and get their feedback.”Click image to enlarge.[IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset04_sm.jpg[/IMG]CCS Design Student Jakob Bosnak provided the other finalist design for the FED Bravo prototype. TARDEC worked with CCS as a partner when developing the Army demonstrator vehicle to tap into new ideas from young designers. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Chris Williams.) That’s where a designer with a fresh frame of mind helped tailor the vehicles, both inside and out, with features that transcend traditional Army function-driven design philosophy.“We’re making sure the vehicle fits the person,” Johnson commented. “That’s the value we’re getting from the CCS students — they learn ergonomic design. Army designs used to put performance first and the Soldier second. We’re working from the inside out now. We really took into account how a person uses the vehicle, not just how it crosses terrain.”“WTSI hired Joel as an intern to do the interior design. It should feel like the commercial trucks the Soldiers drive. The FED vehicles will have cupholders, too, because we know they use this stuff,” Johnson continued.[B]“We wanted something that spoke through the design and said, ‘Don’t mess with me.’” — [I]Joel Zastrow, FED Bravo CCS Design Student[/I][/B] In addition to ergonomics, the design requirements for the vehicle included aerodynamics, safety features, thermal management, off-road capability and lines of sight.“There is no rear window for safety and to save on weight,” Zastrow explained. “Glass is heavier than armor, so we focused on placing glass in the smallest areas possible. The lower border of the side windows are around the occupant’s shoulder but positioned so that a Soldier can look down at a 15-degree angle from inside the vehicle.”Reducing weight, of course, aids fuel efficiency. The design strategy also involved directing air flow smoothly over and around the vehicle. “I had to adjust the angle of the roof and added facets to the hood and roof to make the air flow more cleanly. It also helps with heat reduction,” Zastrow explained.Click image to enlarge.[IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset05_sm.jpg[/IMG]Zastrow’s sketch pad for the FED Bravo vehicle shows how he blended design elements and depicted the demonstrator vehicle from various angles to maintain the “don’t mess with me” look. (Image courtesy of Joel Zastrow.) Triangular insets toward the back of the wheel wells help cool the brakes and suspension before exiting efficiently. Side intakes near the vehicle rear are shaped in a way that maximizes the air flow in, and rear vents in back are positioned and designed to help the incoming air exit cleanly.For safety, FED Bravo designers had to incorporate a V-hull, which is the armor shield formed beneath the vehicle to protect Soldiers and Marines from roadside bombs and underbody blasts.[B]From Rendering to Reality[/B] Even with all the concessions for airflow, heat reduction and weight efficiency, Zastrow made sure he retained one key visual element in the design. “We wanted something that spoke through the design and said, ‘Don’t mess with me,’” he observed. “At the same time, we couldn’t make it look too aggressive because Army vehicles also have to drive through populated areas without scaring people.”Click image to enlarge.[IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset06_sm.jpg[/IMG]This one-fifth scale model depicts Zastrow’s concept for the FED Bravo. It was displayed in the CCS exhibit at the 2011 NAIAS in Detroit. (Photo courtesy of CCS.) For Zastrow, this process started spring 2010, during his junior year, when TARDEC engineers met with CCS faculty and design students to outline the project and give them rough parameters for vehicle requirements, such as wheelbase and ground clearance measurements. “We started with pencil sketches to get our ideas down and then started presenting about 30 designs a week, and we got immediate feedback from the engineers,” he recalled. “About halfway through the class, we had to adjust our designs to meet their requirements.”[B]“Army designs used to put performance first and the Soldier second. We’re working from the inside out now. We really took into account how a person uses the vehicle, not just how it crosses terrain.” — [I]Carl Johnson, FED Team Leader, TARDEC[/I] [/B] During the summer, Zastrow continued working on the FED Bravo design as an intern at WTSI, building computer data of its dimensions and modeling its shape. The 1/5th-scale model in the CCS exhibit at the Detroit Auto Show was a faithful rendering of Zastrow’s preliminary computer-modeled design.Johnson expects the vehicle to stay as true to Zastrow’s design as possible. He added that public displays (such as the Auto Show exhibit) send a message that the Army is cultivating new relationships with creative and industrial partners. “This is the kind of collaboration that shows we’re always looking for different ideas. We’re not always going back to the same contractors,” Johnson stated. “The FED program has been all about partnering to attract the best ideas.”FED Bravo will be powered by a parallel, road-coupled hybrid-electric drivetrain with a rechargeable battery. Assembly began in late March and is scheduled to be completed in the September/October time frame, followed by full testing later in 2011 and 2012. The prototype is expected to be displayed this fall at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, when it emerges from WTSI’s production facility.[/release] [URL]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/article.cfm?iID=0803&aid=08[/URL]

So, can a civilian buy a un-armored version?

Cool, it looks so futuristic.

Looks sexy, although the front wheels look really unprotected.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;33950825]Looks sexy, although the front wheels look really unprotected.[/QUOTE] Better for crossing terrain, though.

Looks like it's from Red Faction Guerrilla.

[QUOTE=Rapist;33950834]Better for crossing terrain, though.[/QUOTE] Perhaps they should make versatile wheel arches that are interchangeable, or another model designed for front protection.

But can it survive a hit from a missile? Like most cars, Probably not

[QUOTE=BCell;33950852]But can it survive a hit from a missile? Like most cars, Probably not[/QUOTE] Army vehicles aren't like most cars.

[QUOTE=BCell;33950852]But can it survive a hit from a missile? Like most cars, Probably not[/QUOTE] It's not a APC, and never meant to be one.

Bosnak's model looks far better than Zastrow's model in my opinion.

[QUOTE=BCell;33950852]But can it survive a hit from a missile? Like most cars, Probably not[/QUOTE] It can outmaneuver one probably. Getting hit by an RPG isn't the biggest concern on the battlefield today, it's the IED that kills. You can tell that it has a lot of clearance and an angled bottom which would allow a lot of the pressure to escape out the sides, so you can see they've thought about it.

[IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset04_sm.jpg[/IMG] Reminds me of [IMG]http://encycl.opentopia.com/enimages/2354/2353325/HL2APC.jpg[/IMG]

reminds me of the STAG N-forcer from SR3, looks almost identical but at the same time it looks like that jeep from RF guerilla

....Hrm...Willys Jeep lasted about 50-60 years. Hummer has lasted about 20. We gonna get a new model 5 years after this is approved and deployed?

how can it be a new humvee if it's not a HMMWV

[QUOTE=Medevilae;33950918]From that angle it kind of does look similar. From the other ones, not so much. [/QUOTE] Truthfully, it looked a lot similar in my mind before I looked up the picture of the combine APC.

[QUOTE=Zezibesh;33950940]how can it be a new humvee if it's not a HMMWV[/QUOTE] So people would understand what vehicle they're replacing, smartass.

[QUOTE=TestECull;33950935]....Hrm...Willys Jeep lasted about 50-60 years. Hummer has lasted about 20. We gonna get a new model 5 years after this is approved and deployed?[/QUOTE] Compare the technology advance from the 40s-80s a lot changed in those 40 years right? Now compare the technology change from the 80's to today. Bigger technological advance than those 40 years. So to answer your question possibly. Depending on our war situation and any new technology that makes our soldiers safer.

[QUOTE=Coffee;33950842]Looks like it's from Red Faction Guerrilla.[/QUOTE] Definitely reminds me of the EDF scout vehicles. [img_thumb]http://images.wikia.com/saintsrow/images/4/43/EDF_Scout_render.jpg[/img_thumb]

This is really going to help the local economy in this area. A lot of people used to work at the humvee plant here, hopefully they get some orders.

[QUOTE=Led Zeppelin;33950902][IMG]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset04_sm.jpg[/IMG] Reminds me of [IMG]http://encycl.opentopia.com/enimages/2354/2353325/HL2APC.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] I'm sure I read somewhere that the HL2 APC is based off that model.

While it is neat that we are getting a new vehicle, I am not sure it will replace our Humvees. The Humvees can add something that this cannot: firepower. They usually equip our humvees with an M2 or m240B. This vehicle has no weapon on top. The gunner gives superior visibility and firepower to whatever element is supporting it. While this vehicle is a nice idea and means well, I am not convinced that this could be used for anything other than personnel transport. Also, we have OK visibility out of the humvees, but these look pathetic with little situational awareness. They may be more fuel efficient, but they are not going to replace our armored humvee.

just what i wanted, more techno-fetishist trash to inflate our military budget and provide wank material for war nerds.

[quote][img]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset04_sm.jpg[/img][/quote] Maybe I've been playing too much SR3, but.. [img]http://www52.atwiki.jp/saintwrow3car/?plugin=ref&serial=173[/img]

Fucking futuristic military vehicles. The Light Armored Vehicles of today are starting to become more heavily armored & armed than the light tanks of World War 2.

[QUOTE=notxmania;33952246]just what i wanted, more techno-fetishist trash to inflate our military budget and provide wank material for war nerds.[/QUOTE] This is like the one project we actually probably needed. Humvees get annihilated by roadside bombs.

[QUOTE=GunFox;33952532]This is like the one project we actually probably needed. Humvees get annihilated by roadside bombs.[/QUOTE]They tend to have a propensity for the doors sealing shut when IEDs hit them, as well as locks and whatnot killing the soldiers inside. I hope this thing can take blasts better. Problem is, they still won't be able to take a blast from an EFP. Once we can defeat that, then things will get better.

[QUOTE=Coffee;33950842]Looks like it's from Red Faction Guerrilla.[/QUOTE] Damnit I was gonna say that. It strongly reminds me of the EDF Scout Car, but larger. The second version reminds me of the EDF Staff Car: [img]http://www.tardec.info/GVSETNews/images/080308_gvset06.jpg[/img] [img]http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110503212159/redfaction/images/thumb/e/e0/StaffCarGood.png/830px-StaffCarGood.png[/img] I have to wonder if they did that on purpose, or if RFG's developers just knew well what they were doing when designing futuristic military vehicles.

Disappointed, I was hoping for the winged version.