Vanguard Magazine

t talkIng TECH 40 DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com ties, blast protected seats, automatic fire suppression systems and an integrated sys- tem designed to absorb and deflect blast energy. Its armour is classified A-kit and B- kit. It can carry a variety light and medium caliber weapons plus automatic grenade launchers (AGLs) and an anti-tank ground weapon (ATGW) when needed. Considering the heft all that would ac- count for, the vehicle has the agility of a Baja racer, according to John Bryant, se- nior vice president of defence programs for Oshkosh. An early development version of the L-ATV actually became the first mili- tary class vehicle to compete at the Baja 1000 desert race in 2010. The vehicle can run up to 482 kilome- ters between gas ups. The vehicle's GM Duramax 6.6 litre V8 engine rated at 300 hp, carries the L-ATV to a road speed of up to 112 kph, off road speeds varies. Hybrid powertrain One of the factors that make the L-ATV unique is its ProPulse diesel-electric hybrid powertrain. The system enables the vehicle to gener- ate between 30 to 70kW of military-grade power that could be made available both while the vehicle is station and on the move. "This is particularly important as the military seeks to improve energy efficiency and make forces leaner," according to Bry- ant. "Exportable power reduces the need to generators in-theater." "The Oshkosh TAK-4i intelligent inde- pendent suspension system is lighter and provides 25 per cent more wheel travel than today's gold standard, the TAK4. The TAK-4i uses advanced shock absorbers and that can be raised and lowered using interior controls and it incorporates disc brakes," Bryant told Vanguard Magazine. "It can carry troops at off-road speeds that are 70 per cent faster than today's gold standard, which is our own M-ATV." L-ATV shares its genes with Oshkosh's much heavier Mine-Resistant Ambush- Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), which is actually primarily running JLTV missions today because the military con- siders armoured Humvees and MRAP ve- hicles to be restricted to roads or the base, according to Bryant. "An up-armoured HMMWV's perfor- mance and survivability are not even in the same ballpark as the Oshkosh JLTV," he said. "An up-armoured HMMWV, with more than 3,500 lbs. of additional payload, loses its off-road mobility and speed, ren- dering it incapable of meeting mission re- quirement." Bryant foresees the JLATV and Hum- 'Our L-ATV has a scalable and vertically integrated design that is prepared to be outfitted with any of the latest C4ISR packages our customers require.'

• Cover