The Pentagon is at important crossroads in its long-term, manned ground vehicle strategy. In one instance it is proceeding with competition to field the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). At the same time, the US Army and Marine Corps are retaining the legacy High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) for the next 25 years. While the services have no programme of record to enhance and upgrade their HMMWV fleets, one industry team is readying modernisation plans to offer its prospective military customers. MT had the opportunity to learn about the Northrop Grumman-led team’s rapidly evolving HMMWV modernization solution at an October 14 conference floor briefing.
Northrop Grumman is teamed with Pratt-Miller Engineering (a provider of commercial racing solutions) and Meritor (with competencies in drive trains and other components) to improve the HMMWV fleets’ performance, protection and payload. Jeff Wood, the Northrop Grumman director of Vehicle Modernization, noted his team could achieve improvements in these three areas with “bumper to bumper” upgrades to the vehicle’s power train, suspension, hydraulics, central tire inflation and other subsystems.
It should be of no surprise the Northrup Grumman team is emphasising an innovative, yet affordable business model to keep the HMMWVs in service to about 2040. So rather than shipping all vehicles back to the US for refurbishment, the industry team is seeking to complete all onboard upgrades in about one week, in forward areas when necessary, optimizing a “repair kit” for each vehicle.
Northrop Grumman’s modernisation efforts have to date been self-funded, with some guidance provided by the Army’s TARDEC.
While Wood emphasized HMMWV modernization affordability will be “front and center” there is the reality that budget analysts will need to consider the US Marine Corps’ estimate that it will cost $(US)145,000 to modernize a HMMWV.
Northrop Grumman program officials noted they were unable to divulge most of preliminary modernization results achieved to date, but did disclose the industry team has doubled an HMMWV’s fuel efficiency.
In an exclusive interview with MT, Sedat Guldogan, the deputy undersecretary at the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries in Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence, pointed out his nation’s companies are partners on premier weapons systems and weapons platform programmes around the globe.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) provides the center fuselage for F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) and components for the embryonic A-400M. In another instance, Rokestan is a supplier to Raytheon Missile Systems. The Turkish defence official emphasized these and other internally produced defense products conform to STANAG, MILSPEC and other standards.
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The nation’s rapidly maturing aerospace and defence sector will continue to expand – leading to the manufacture and export of T-70 helicopters and other high-end systems.
The Turkish pavilion at 2014 AUSA is host to 10 companies, with that number projected to increase in 2015 and beyond.
Northrop Grumman is teamed with Pratt-Miller Engineering (a provider of commercial racing solutions) and Meritor (with competencies in drive trains and other components) to improve the HMMWV fleets’ performance, protection and payload. Jeff Wood, the Northrop Grumman director of Vehicle Modernization, noted his team could achieve improvements in these three areas with “bumper to bumper” upgrades to the vehicle’s power train, suspension, hydraulics, central tire inflation and other subsystems.
It should be of no surprise the Northrup Grumman team is emphasising an innovative, yet affordable business model to keep the HMMWVs in service to about 2040. So rather than shipping all vehicles back to the US for refurbishment, the industry team is seeking to complete all onboard upgrades in about one week, in forward areas when necessary, optimizing a “repair kit” for each vehicle.
Northrop Grumman’s modernisation efforts have to date been self-funded, with some guidance provided by the Army’s TARDEC.
While Wood emphasized HMMWV modernization affordability will be “front and center” there is the reality that budget analysts will need to consider the US Marine Corps’ estimate that it will cost $(US)145,000 to modernize a HMMWV.
Northrop Grumman program officials noted they were unable to divulge most of preliminary modernization results achieved to date, but did disclose the industry team has doubled an HMMWV’s fuel efficiency.
Foreign Industry Presence at AUSA
Turkish defence companies continue to increase their presence at the annual conference and with good reason. Turkish aerospace and defence companies deliver a wide array of quality, low- to high tech products ranging from boots to satellite systems, to end users at home, in the US and other NATO nations, and other countries.In an exclusive interview with MT, Sedat Guldogan, the deputy undersecretary at the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries in Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence, pointed out his nation’s companies are partners on premier weapons systems and weapons platform programmes around the globe.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) provides the center fuselage for F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) and components for the embryonic A-400M. In another instance, Rokestan is a supplier to Raytheon Missile Systems. The Turkish defence official emphasized these and other internally produced defense products conform to STANAG, MILSPEC and other standards.
The nation’s rapidly maturing aerospace and defence sector will continue to expand – leading to the manufacture and export of T-70 helicopters and other high-end systems.
The Turkish pavilion at 2014 AUSA is host to 10 companies, with that number projected to increase in 2015 and beyond.
Marty Kauchak