Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) has recently launched a new 8×8 armored fighting vehicle which sports a hybrid propulsion system capable of delivering speeds of more than 100 kph while being totally silent.
FFG unveiled the new vehicle, called “Genesis”, at the Förderkreis Heer Symposium “Current Challenges and Perspectives of Medium-Sized Defense Technology Companies as a Driver for Capability Maintenance and Technology Innovation” at the FFG premise in Flensburg. While its unveiling was originally planned for Eurosatory 2020 in Paris, the event had to be postponed because of coronavirus-induced COVID-19 considerations.
Weighing around 40 tonnes, the Genesis is equipped with a hybrid diesel-electric drive system and can hurl down at speeds of more than 100 km per hour with a milerange of 150 kilometers when running on its electric motors and around 600 kilometers when its on its diesel engine.
According to European Security and Defense the Genesis has a total installed power of 1,368 kW, with the diesel generator only used to generate electricity for the electrical storage unit, with both units located in the front portion of the vehicle.
All of its 8 wheels can be driven individually to produce a maximum torque of 15,622 Nm with the speed controlled by FFG’s own system software. The Genesis is also equipped with a Drive-by-Wire (DBW) system, similar to an aircraft’s Fly-By-Wire (FBW) system, thus eliminating the need for legacy steering systems.
The Genesis is modeled on the modular concept similar to that of the Boxer armored fighting vehicle. According to FFG, the technology is fully scalable and it can also be used on a 4×4 or 6×6 vehicles. In the event an individual driveshafts experiences issues, including failure, that individual tyre can be set to idle allowing the remaining wheels to continue with the mission at hand.
While demonstrating the vehicle at the symposium, Genesis was fitted in with an armored fighting mode featuring a Kongsberg unmanned turret fitted with a 30mm cannon and a combatants carrying capacity of 10 infantrymen.
The unveiling of the genesis showcased FFG’s combat capabilities and innovations.
FFG’s Genesis is not the only armored vehicle showcasing new drive concepts. Among other notables is Israel’s Carmel fighting vehicle, which reportedly incorporates artificial intelligence into its drive systems.
