Rheinmetall Electronics UK to supply Trailblazer camera system for Warrior IFVs.

Rheinmetall has been awarded a contract by the British Ministry of Defence to supply the Trailblazer driver's view system for the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle fleet. Rheinmetall Electronics UK Ltd won the contract in an open competition and will now supply Trailblazers for a total of 359 Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. The order value is in the low double-digit million euro range. The Trailblazer cameras will be used as a Rear Safety Camera System (RSCS) for the Warrior vehicle, providing a key safety feature for the driver to recognise terrain and personnel at the rear of the vehicle.
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The Trailblazer cameras will be used as a Rear Safety Camera System (RSCS) for the Warrior vehicle (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The camera proposed by Rheinmetall Electronics UK is also used as the PAX camera on the Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) – part of the vehicle's complete local situational awareness system. The PAX model comprises an infrared camera with a 90° field of view giving coverage down to 0 Lux, allowing the driver a wide field of view across the width of the vehicle. On the Boxer MIV programme, it has recently been independently confirmed that the Trailblazer system will be compliant to an internationally recognised functional safety standard (IEC 61508, within a SIL2 application).

Alongside delivery into the Warrior and Boxer MIV programmes, Rheinmetall Electronics UK are also providing the Driver Vision System on the Challenger 3 main battle tank programme. Boxer MIV and Challenger 3 represent two of the most important modernisation programs for the British Army. The selection of a common Trailblazer solution provides excellent coherence across the fleet.

As part of this programme, Rheinmetall Electronics UK will be delivering the latest, Third Generation Trailblazer solutions, which are fully software-defined, Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) compatible and have already been qualified to safety and EMC standards, reducing risks around integration. The cameras support continuous, incremental updates, ensuring the capability remains evergreen.

Wayne Cranwell, Rheinmetall Electronics UK Head of Sales said: “Our solution to the Warrior RSCS requirement was founded on the mature design we provide into the Boxer MIV programme ensuring effective and safe rearward operations. Great to see that DE&S identified our proposal as the best value offer in this competition - this will keep this important British Army capability current for the remainder of its in-service lifetime.”

Richard Streeter, Rheinmetall Electronics UK Managing Director said: “It is heartening to see coherence developing across the UK fleet vehicle vision. This approach drives down integration and delivery risk and timelines as well as the total cost of ownership for the UK MoD. The Trailblazer Gen 3 solution was specifically developed to meet the demanding requirements of the UK Army and it will be great to see this system now also supporting the safety needs of the Warrior platform.”

Brigadier Matt Wilkinson, Vehicle Support Team Leader, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), said: “This safety-critical upgrade to Warrior is being delivered at pace and with the principals of quality, supportability, and value for money at its heart. The DE&S Vehicle Support Team looks forward to working with Rheinmetall Electronics UK in integrating this leading-edge technology to our in-service fleet of Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles over the next 12 months.”

Defense News November 2023