ST Kinetics subsidiary Kinetics Drive Solutions (KDS) has been selected as a subcontractor to Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) to enter into the Production and Deployment Phase of the US Marine Corps’ Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) Survivability Upgrade (SU) program. SAIC was awarded an initial Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) option to provide the Marine Corps with additional AAV SU vehicles, which will be the first combat vehicle equipped with KDS’ state-of-the-art infinitely variable transmission.
KDS is supplying its specially designed MD500 marine drive power-take-off and the InfiniDrive HMX3000 transmissions, which it claims will greatly enhance land and water mobility of the upgraded AAV SU vehicle. The largest member of the HMX family, the HMX3000 has been designed for installation in tracked vehicles with a GVW of up to 36 tonnes and with a power output of 600 to 800 hp.
The infinitely variable nature of the HMX3000 transmission allows the track speed to be optimised independent of engine speed – a superior feature for transition from water to land. When in water, the transmission is disconnected enabling the MD500 to provide the AAV SU with the maximum power at the water jets for fast ship-to-shore operation.
The HMX3000 features KDS’ proprietary integrated pump motors (IPM) and transmission control system which offers a highly efficient and power-dense transmission. The intelligent transmission control is also matched to the engine’s operating curve to yield optimal efficiency across the entire speed range of the vehicle. The electronic control and drive-by-wire operation of the transmission also enables the AAV SU to be configured for remote controlled or autonomous operations if desired.
“We are extremely pleased that SAIC chose to continue to work with us on this solution for the Marine Corps,” said KDS chief executive officer Jason Lim. “It boosts our confidence in Kinetics to work with and support vehicle integrators and OEMs worldwide to deliver reliable and cost-effective solutions to their customers.”
