Article

YPG tests Light Armored Vehicle for foreign nation
Mark Schauer
April 9, 2012
TOP PHOTO: The Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) and its variants have served the US Marine Corps and friendly foreign nations for more than 25 years. Here, a LAV under test for a foreign customer is tested on one of YPG's 60 percent grades as part of a comprehensive endurance evaluation.

BOTTOM PHOTO: YPG evaluators use a crane to verify a LAV's center of gravity as part of a physical characteristics inspection that takes place prior to tests in the field. Each LAV currently under test is expected to rack up 20,000 miles on YPG's punishing road courses. (Loaned photos)

YPG is the busiest test center in the Army, and for nearly a decade the majority of the proving ground's workload has centered on the extensive evaluation of virtually every ground combat vehicle currently in use.

Variants of the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) have served in the American armed forces since the early 1980s, and are used for a wide variety of duties, from reconnaissance to troop transport. The LAV-25 amphibious variant is well-known for its long years of service to the Marine Corps. Versions of the platform are also used by a number of friendly foreign nations and one of these is currently at YPG undergoing rigorous testing of a new engine and transmission.

"Each endurance vehicle will undergo 20,000 miles of operation,"said Jason Green, YPG test officer. "This is a production verification test to ensure it meets the specifications the manufacturer says it will."

Green, a West Point graduate and former tank platoon officer, is particularly aware of the importance of getting top notch equipment to troops. Under his guidance, testers are putting the vehicle through its paces across punishing road courses and ensuring not only that vital accessories like the platform's .50 caliber machine gun and smoke grenade launcher function exactly as designed, but that Soldiers can operate them in harsh conditions.

"We want to find out if anything in the design is hindering the successful operation of the vehicle,"said Green. "It is one thing to design something at a desk, but it has to be proven in the real world before it can be fielded to Soldiers."

One example is several different tests that detect noise levels emitted by the vehicle that are audible within the crew compartment. Such evaluations help determine the type of hearing protection the crew needs, and also gives insights into the stealthiness of the platform. For example, will excessive noise give away the vehicle's location to an adversary? Will insufficient insulation allow radio communications inside the vehicle to be audible to the enemy during a silent watch?

A portion of the testing has utilized the test track operated by General Motors on land leased from YPG. Testers also have used the facility's 1,000 foot by 1,000 foot vehicle dynamics pad to conduct a cornering test, which ensures the vehicle can safely negotiate corners without tipping over.

During its time at the proving ground, testers will also confirm more common performance characteristics like acceleration, braking power, and fuel consumption. At the conclusion of the current endurance test, YPG expects to conduct similar testing on assault gun, anti-tank, and mortar carrier variants of the same platform.

YPG Outpost