Secretary of the Army Takes Firsthand Peek at Ground Systems Technology
Calling the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) “an amazing place with amazing, dedicated people,” Secretary of the Army John McHugh made a one-day trip to the U.S. Army Detroit Arsenal on Thursday, July 19, to get a close-up view of the facilities where vital energy, mobility and survivability research are shaping the Army’s future.
McHugh, the Army’s top-ranking civilian official, toured TACOM LCMC laboratories and work spaces, including the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), where he viewed the newly opened Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory (GSPEL), regarded as a key testing and evaluation epicenter for new energy technology. Read More >>
Robotics Rodeo Highlights Advances in Life-Saving Technologies
An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) makes its way across the field and suddenly slows, its sensors activated by a threat buried beneath the ground. A mechanical arm lowers, blades whirring and kicking up dirt as it searches for land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A loud report and a shower of sparks fill the air as the threat is discharged.
The described scenario took place at Fort Benning, GA, during the 2012 Robotics Rodeo, held June 20-29, 2012. The event allowed manufacturers to showcase the latest robotics technology designed to defeat battlefield threats, especially IEDs. Robotics technology has been vital in allowing Soldiers and Marines to detect and defeat these devices from safe standoff distances during overseas contingency operations. The Rodeo enables Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) Soldiers to “test drive” the latest UGVs and offer feedback based on their recent deployment experiences. Read more >>
FED Bravo Designed for Efficiency
One look at the Army's Fuel Efficient ground vehicle Demonstrator (FED) Bravo tells you this concept vehicle doesn't follow the usual rules for military design. Yes, FED Bravo has all the capabilities and protections to perform the same mission as a comparable Humvee. But this demonstrator vehicle achieves a 90-percent higher combined fuel economy rating (9.58 mpg) because it's equipped with a series of commercially available fuel-saving components and systems. Coordinated by TARDEC in a unique collaborative partnership, FED Bravo is the second of two demonstrator vehicles designed to help the Army reduce consumption and ease the burden of delivering fuel to Soldiers. Read more >>
Army Leaders Open New Lab Complex for Business
More than 300 government, industry and academic leaders converged on the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, MI, for the grand opening of the U.S. Army's one-of-a-kind Ground Vehicle Power and Energy Laboratory (GSPEL) complex on April 11, 2012.
A panel of distinguished Army leaders, accompanied by the Nation's top energy officials and Michigan's U.S. Senate delegation, were on hand to open the doors of the 30,000-square-foot facility, which houses eight state-of-the-art laboratories and will provide unprecedented ground vehicle testing and evaluation capabilities for the Army and its partners. Read more >>