Contract looks at Humvee power supply

A BAE Systems Aerospace Controls product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jul 21, 2005

The US Office of Naval Research has selected BAE Systems to begin development of an onboard vehicle power system for the Marine Corps' High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle.

The US Office of Naval Research has selected BAE Systems to begin development of an onboard vehicle power system for the Marine Corps' High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, known commonly as the Humvee.

The study contract calls for system requirements definition and preliminary design work on a system that would enable a Humvee to generate 30kW of continuous mobile onboard power.

BAE Systems will apply its extensive power management experience in both military and commercial hybrid vehicles to its solution for the Marine Corps requirement.

BAE Systems is the propulsion and power subsystem integrator for the Future Combat Systems Multifunction Utility/Logistics Equipment vehicle (MULE), and its commercial hybrid vehicles include buses that have logged more than 2 million miles of revenue service in New York City.

Buses equipped with BAE Systems' HybriDrive propulsion system typically achieve 25 to 35% greater fuel economy than standard diesel buses and generate significantly lower emissions.

"Our power management expertise has been recognised in both the military and commercial segments", said Hank McGlynn, Vice President of Power Systems for BAE Systems.

"The expertise we have built through these activities is directly applicable to the US Marine Corps' need for the vehicle-based onboard power that will make possible the more-electric force of tomorrow".

The Office of Naval Research's onboard vehicle power study contract includes an option to fund BAE Systems to develop a prototype system for installation on a Humvee to support US Government testing.

The Humvee is a highly mobile, diesel-powered, four-wheel-drive vehicle that can be configured for multiple purposes, including troop carrier, armament carrier, ambulance, and TOW missile carrier.

It is designed for use on all types of roads and for cross-country use in all weather conditions.