GDLS UK completes LAV Demonstrator’s and Ocelot’s 650-mile Tactical Road Move 42710154

Defence & Security News - (UK)
 
GDLS UK completes LAV Demonstrator’s and Ocelot’s 650-mile Tactical Road Move
General Dynamics Land Systems UK completed the 650-mile Tactical Road Move, in under 24 hours, on the 23 October. The vehicles covered the distance between Plymouth and Inverness, making the necessary stops throughout the trip. The aim was to prove the vehicle’s capability in meeting modern warfare grueling demands.
     
GDLS UK completes LAV Demonstrator’s and Ocelot’s 650-mile Tactical Road Move 2
The LAV Demonstrator and the Ocelot at Inverness. (Photo: GDLS UK)
     

The vehicles used where the V-hulled 8x8 LAV Demonstrator, which already serves with the US and Canadian Armies and the Ocelot. The LAV Demonstrator features a sixth-generation suspension and driveline, and a more powerful engine, compared to the previous Stryker vehicle versions. Therefore, the new LAVs have a significantly increased payload, super mobility and reliability.

During the trip, the LAV Demonstrator was accompanied by the Ocelot General Purpose Vehicle – Logistics (GPV-L). The vehicle’s role is to provide logistical support with a payload capacity of 2,500 kg. The 6.5-tonne vehicle means that it can be airlifted by CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

The two vehicles managed to complete the move in 16 hours, including the mandatory breaks, with an average speed of 52mph.

The main goal behind this idea is to prove the LAV Demonstrator as a platform that will be able to cover the future needs of the British Army. The latter is researching the effectiveness in using wheeled armoured platforms in order to bridge the gap between the armoured and mechanized units and the ones operating with smaller vehicles such as the Mastiff.

In the past 12 months, the Army has conducted a series of exercise that will prove the concept. In September, the Scots Guards had the opportunity to train with their US Army counterparts in the use and employment of the Stryker vehicle, just before the NIE 16.1 exerces in the US.
 
GDLS UK completes LAV Demonstrator’s and Ocelot’s 650-mile Tactical Road Move 1