It is certain that the way in which we defend nations and fight adversaries will continue to adapt and change with advances in warfighting technology, and with this, the access to modernised armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) and protected mobility vehicles (PMVs) is no exception. Both AFVs and PMVs must be modular and adaptable, and reduce the cognitive burden of the operator, all while keeping personnel safe and protected from conventional and unconventional threats.
A diverse range of demands are placed upon today’s vehicles; consequently, their designs vary greatly but the fundamentals remain the same: they must get you where you need to go, safely and at speed, while being equipped to face any adversary.
From main battle tanks to patrol vehicles, they all need the capability to conduct surveillance activities, detect potential threats, relay data throughout the vehicle and along the command chain and defend itself when necessary.
As fleets reach their out of service date, it is essential that armies assess their requirements in order to forge an enhanced capability. Each AFV and PMV should be equipped with 5 key features: commonality, modularity, mobility, survivability, lethality. These features will ensure that fleets are able to withstand the dynamic and turbulent nature of the modern battlefield.
Thales in the UK is world leading in the AFV and PMV domain which aids the ability to provide systems capability to vehicle programmes.
Every UK Main Battle Tank over the past 75 years has been fitted with sights designed or built by Thales. Thales in the UK has designed and built the electronic vehicle architecture system and vehicle sights for more than 300 of the UK MOD’s Foxhound vehicles, tested proven in Afghanistan. With this strong heritage in vehicles, systems and open architectures, Thales aims to enable armed forces to fight harder, smarter and longer than the opposition.
Thales is a supplier of choice for both new build and retrofit vehicle programmes to give users better local situational awareness and the fighting advantage in military operations. With fleet operation centres in the UK, vehicles can be assessed and adjusted to suit user requirements at speed.
Getting forces to the front line- fast, with vehicles that are fit for purpose and readily deployable will significantly enhance the way in which we protect and defend our nations, assets and critical infrastructure.
Hawkei is a lightweight and agile platform available in 2 and 4 door configurations to support a selection of variants, including patrol, liaison and logistics vehicles. It will ensure soldiers get to where the need to go, all while enhancing network awareness across crews. This is thanks to shared connection platforms enabling a fully integrated C4I vehicle.
For a medium weight capability, the Bushmaster is combat proven and in service with 9 nations, including Ukraine. With a 4 tonne payload, Bushmaster is modular and reconfigurable; it can be designed to fit the customer’s needs and has been constructed into formats such as: armoured personnel carrier, command and control platform, route clearance and battlefield ambulance.
Accelerating the integration of technology at the edge is becoming the new standard. There is a growing need for the rapid acquisition of superior military capabilities that can deliver a tangible difference on the battlefield. Solutions should, where possible, embrace AI and autonomy in order to provide increased lethality and efficiencies. By having modular and configurable vehicles in a fleet, this will enhance the ability to do just that.
Find out more about our Bushmaster and Hawkei capabilities here: Protected Mobility Vehicles | Thales Group
Whether in support of military operations in a combat environment or humanitarian and peacekeeping missions, the capabilities of a deployed AFV or PMV are crucial to mission success and survivability. Thales in the UK has proven expertise across various vehicle types in the systems that deliver these capabilities:
- Vehicle Optronics
- Environmental Sensors
- Vehicle Systems Integration
- Laser Warning Systems
- Electronic Vehicle Architecture
- Situational Awareness
- Remote Weapons Stations