FEINDEF 2021: GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas presents unmanned ASCOD and UGV joint operational link.

At FEINDEF 2021, General Dynamics European Land Systems-Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS) presents the new technologies that will be key for the armored vehicles of the future and that are already a reality as Optionally Manned Vehicles, Mother Platforms for Force Multiplication and Maintenance 4.0 Developments, through intelligent, digitized and augmented and virtual reality monitoring oriented to training.

ASCOD in Optionally Manned Vehicle version (Picture source: Army Recognition)

As a leading company and reference in the design, manufacture and maintenance of wheeled and tracked armored vehicles, GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas is exhibiting these new developments and capabilities in a technological demonstrator of ASCOD Tracked under the slogan "We create the Defense of the Future".

"The fair gives GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas the opportunity to show the qualitative leap provided by the identification and development of new capabilities that go beyond the design and manufacture of armored vehicles and its commitment to constant innovation in the concept of a common multipurpose platform, which should serve for the definition of a whole family of variants that allow the integration of advanced and disruptive technologies," said Juan Escriña, General Manager of GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas. "At FEINDEF, these innovations are shown integrated in a Capability Network (ASCOD) concept, capable of efficiently operating and managing various Force Multipliers, as, for example, is the case of the UGV MUTT that integrates a 12.7mm remote weapon station", he added.

ASCOD in Optionally Manned Vehicle version (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The main technological solutions and innovations presented by GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas at the fair are:

Optionally manned platforms

In response to the "Technology and Innovation Strategy for Defense" of the Spanish Ministry of Defense, which poses the challenge of developing systems that allow the conversion of manned military vehicles into unmanned, evolving them to optionally manned, Santa Bárbara Sistemas presents in FEINDEF a system, own and national, for this transformation of a tracked vehicle. The design is modular and its operation is compatible with the conventional driving mode without any preparation or transition. The system has already been successfully installed on an ASCOD tracked platform and is being tested for various use cases. This project is being carried out in collaboration with SENER and the University Institute for Automotive Research (INSIA), part of the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Force Multiplication and MUTT

GDELS - Santa Bárbara Sistemas presents a concept of cooperation between manned and robotic platforms. The GDELS-SBS concept is based on a platform designed as a mobile command post (mother vehicle) which is complemented by one or more platforms with autonomous capabilities and which are also remotely operated in critical actions. This capability is commonly referred to as Force Multiplier. These robotic systems can perform different functions such as advanced observation, positioning, targeting, and even protection and fire, increasing the combat capability of the main vehicles. In this case, an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) from GDELS-Santa Barbara Sistemas, known as MUTT, has been integrated to the mother vehicle. It is a compact and highly mobile system that operates with electric propulsion that serves a configurable tracked or wheeled track (4x4, 6x6 or 8x8). The payload is 500kg (in the 8x8 version) which gives it great versatility when configuring the platform for different roles. Additionally, it can also fulfill logistic missions, transport of combatant's equipment, and for evacuation of wounded.

Maintenance 4.0

The third technology that GDELS-SBS is presenting at FEINDEF is its Vehicle Intelligent Monitoring System (VIMS) that helps increase the operational availability of military vehicles, reduce maintenance costs and their logistic footprint. This is achieved through digitization of the maintenance plan and the use of Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality technology to both illustrate complex maintenance tasks and support advanced training. The VIMS developed by GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas is capable of acquiring, recording, processing, and visualizing relevant health and usage data from the systems connected to the vehicle's open architecture, all in compliance with NATO's NGVA standard. Based on FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis), developed by GDELS-SBS, and verified over the years through field tests, alarms and failure modes can be particularized according to user requirements and needs.

David Robles, Senior Manager Engineering Product and Innovation at GDELS-SBS, explains for Army Recognition’s Defense Web TV the operational link between the ASCOD and the UGV in unmanned configuration (Picture source: Army Recognition)

 
ASCOD in Optionally Manned Vehicle version, displayed with its "operational partner", the MUTT UGV. As they can be piloted via a satellite link, both vehicles can be jointly operated from anywhere in the world, the UGV MUTT being controlled by the ASCOD, which itself can be remotely piloted (Picture source: Army Recognition)