Posted on 09/13/2005 3:41:53 AM PDT by prisoner6
A concept vehicle designed to illustrate potential technology options for improving survivability and mobility in future military combat vehicles will be shown publicly for the first time Sept. 13-15 at a military technology meeting in Virginia.
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The event, Modern Day Marine Expo, will be held at the Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Va.
The concept vehicle, known as the ULTRA AP (Armored Patrol), was built to help the U.S. military evaluate multiple science and technology options ; including ballistic and mine protection that could benefit future vehicle design. The concept vehicle combines proven vehicle technologies with advanced materials and engineering concepts.
Research and development for the ULTRA has been conducted by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), which led a unique team of research engineers from both GTRI and the automotive industry. The research initiative has been sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
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By bringing together experienced commercial vehicle designers with experts in advanced materials and cutting-edge engineering, we are providing a test bed for evaluating technologies that can help the military develop true leap-ahead concepts,said David Parekh, GTRIs deputy director. By including persons with high-performance automotive engineering and NASCAR expertise as part of our team, we were able to root this advanced concepts project in real-world vehicle design.
The ULTRA AP emphasizes high-output diesel power combined with advanced armor and a fully modern chassis. The design matches the best of modern commercial automotive technology with racing experience, explained Gary Caille, a GTRI principal research engineer.
In the ULTRA AP, the GTRI/industry team has made improvements in two key areas by taking a systems approach to survivability and safety:
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The ULTRA AP project has been supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as part of its mission of investigating and assessing new technologies for military use. By providing the ULTRA AP concept vehicle for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army to study, ONR expects to spur innovative thinking and gather feedback on the ideas being demonstrated.
In developing the ULTRA AP, GTRI brought together a group of industry professionals that included Scott Badenoch, an auto industry advanced development and racing professional; Tom Moore, former Chrysler vice president of Liberty Operations, the companys advanced engineering center; Walt Wynbelt, former program executive officer with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, and Dave McLellan, the former Corvette chief engineer for General Motors.
The ULTRA project is linked directly to ;e-safety, an emerging automotive concept that combines computers and advanced technologies to make driving safer, McLellan noted. In e-safety, night driving systems and stability control add security, while radar systems already available in Europe actually slow vehicles automatically under certain conditions.
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The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology. GTRI conducts more than $140 million in research each year for a variety of industry and government clients in a broad range of technologies. For more information, visit (www.gtri.gatech.edu).
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) manages science and technology research for the Navy and Marine Corps. ONR sponsors basic and applied research in oceanography, advanced materials, sensors, robotics, biomedical science and technology, electronics, surveillance, mathematics, manufacturing technology, information science, advanced combat systems and technologies for ships, submarines, aircraft and ground vehicles. For more information, visit (www.onr.navy.mil).
RESEARCH NEWS & PUBLICATIONS OFFICE
Georgia Institute of Technology
75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS:
(1) Kirk Englehardt, Georgia Tech Research Institute (cell: 678-557-2533) or (404-385-0280); E-mail: (kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu);
(2) John Toon, Georgia Institute of Technology (404-894-6986); E-mail: (john.toon@edi.gatech.edu);
(3) Jane Sanders, Georgia Institute of Technology (404-894-2214); E-mail: (jane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu);
(4) Office of Naval Research (703-696-5031); E-mail: (onrpao@onr.navy.mil).
TECHNICAL CONTACT: Gary Caille, Georgia Tech Research Institute (404-463-4603); E-mail: (gary.caille@gtri.gatech.edu).
The only thing that bothers me is the name. Maybe I'm being to sensitive but I think I wouldn't want any part of the name to conjure up the image of TRAP, i.e - ul TRA AP.
Too much coffee overnight again.
priosner6
Nice! I especially like the gull wing doors. Easy in or out.
I wonder what it's mpg figures are?
Looks small inside.
Haven't seen the pictures yet, dialup, however traditional gull wing doors have an issue with opening when upside down.
It DOES look small inside as well as someone else mentioned. I'm >guessing< this is a basic vehicle. It can probably be fitted with weapons and more space for troops.
prisoner6
OH HELL YEAH!
I got to get me one o' these!!!
How long before Ahnold owns one?
How much stapling and folding would be required to put a 6'4" 260 pound door kicking Marine or Ranger in there? Would be reminescent of the clown cars in the circus, except of course their being locked cocked and ready to rock. I could just hear the clown music come to a screeching halt as the first door went crash. Anyone got a pic of our Marlboro man? I forgot to save one for times like this.
Your Tax Dollars at Play...
Another soft target.
Easy to kill and cripple all those inside.
If what you want to do is drive around in something that looks cool and play super cop you need one very important thing. A local population that is not inclined to shoot at your soft vehicle. If playing super cop in a hostile area you had better bring some serious armor or learn to live without limbs. That seems to be the lesson of Baghdad.
And they give no protection to those exiting or entering the vehicle.
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