BAE Systems and QinetiQ partner on E-X-Drive
This teaming combines QinetiQ’s electric drive expertise with BAE Systems’ design, development, manufacturing and systems integrator capabilities. The technology offers improved fuel efficiency, improved reliability, reduced life-cycle costs, improved mobility performance and unmatched electrical power available to the platform, allowing advanced weaponry, communications, radar and field power generation.
Dr David Moore, Campaign Director Electrical Propulsion & Drivetrains, QinetiQ, said: “This agreement marks a significant step toward wide-scale adoption of electric drive systems for combat vehicles.
"More than 18 years of research and development at QinetiQ has led to a range of highly advanced technology that will improve survivability and performance by enabling radical new vehicle architectures. These could save lives by placing the crew in a safer position within the vehicle, or improving its agility and mobility to reduce its exposure to danger.
"Our strategic partnership with BAE Systems creates new opportunities for customers globally to exploit the huge potential of this game-changing technology and demonstrates QinetiQ’s strategy for achieving international growth through collaboration and innovation.”
QinetiQ’s E-X-Drive transmission for tracked combat vehicles was first conceived in 1999 as an alternative to more complex and limiting traditional drive systems. QinetiQ has worked in partnership with BAE Systems since 2004 to evolve E-X-Drive into a mature technology, successfully demonstrated in US programmes covering the tracked combat vehicle range from 18 to over 70 tonne. Additionally, QinetiQ’s counterpart for wheeled vehicles, the Hub-Drive Unit, is currently being explored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of its Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) programme.
Dean Medland, vice president of combat vehicle programmes at BAE Systems said: “This strategic partnership with QinetiQ in the electric drive field ensures we are offering our customers a mature, low-cost technology that can enhance the performance of current and future combat vehicles. This positions us to be a leader in the market as more platforms across the world move towards and electric drive architecture.”
BAE Systems partnered with QinetiQ in 2004 to develop hybrid electric drive technology for the US Army’s Future Combat System and the follow-on Ground Combat Vehicle programme. Although the programmes successfully demonstrated the technology, they were subsequently cancelled due to changes in US Army requirements. BAE Systems is continuing to leverage the successful technology from this base to further develop the significant advantages offered for future ground combat vehicles.
