Supacat's ATMP To Undergo Major Upgrade

All Terrain Mobility Platform from Supacat will be modernised to take advantage of developments in autonomy and hybrid drive.

13 September 2018

 

 

Supacat's All Terrain Mobility Platform (ATMP), which has been in service with the UK MoD and other forces since the early 1980s, will be fully autonomised and modernised to address future developments in hybrid vehicles.

The vehicle OEM made the announcement ahead of DVD 2018 at Millbrook Proving Ground from the 19–20 September.

The modernisation programme will involve integrating a hybrid drive train onto the platform, with Supacat and the University of Exeter working together as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to develop the alternative drive solution.

Supacat intends to fully “autonomise” the ATMP, developing the mule concept of follow on vehicles and opening up a number of capability options. A technical demonstrator with hybrid drive and novel fuel cells will be built in the first half of 2019.

A second KTP, starting in October 2019, will create an “optionally manned” demonstrator, incorporating elements of autonomous operation leveraging off the development of the hybrid demonstrator.  

“This is an exciting time for Supacat as we seek to harness the rapid advances in hybrid propulsion and autonomous technologies made over the last few years to enhance the capabilities of our products and team for the benefit of our defence and non-defence customers,” said Steve Austen, Supacat's Engineering Director.

The hybrid ATMP offers a number of benefits to the user. These include a reduced logistic burden, a silent running mode and a mobile battery charging platform.The hybrid ATMP will not compromise on the existing capability of the vehicle, aspiring to improve on what has been a timeless, hugely successful product.  

The ATMP can carry a substantial payload of 1,600 kg. Already proven on a variety of military and humanitarian operations in locations such as the Gulf, the Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, Canada, Malaysia and Afghanistan, the ATMP can be transported within or underslung below a range of air platforms providing instant mobility support for light forces on the ground.