Rheinmetall Electronics UK has been awarded a contract by RBSL to supply drivers vision system for the British Army Challenger 3 programme.
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Press Release, Düsseldorf, 06 July 2022: Rheinmetall Electronics UK Ltd are pleased to announce their contract award from Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) to supply the Driver Vision System for the Challenger 3 Programme for the British Army.
The contract is Rheinmetall Electronics UK’s second UK contract to provide their TRAILBLAZER Driver Vision Aid for the UK Ministry of Defence, following the announcement of their Boxer contract award last year.
The scope of the programme will be delivered over the next seven years and will create and sustain jobs the local community and beyond, with sub-contract awards located throughout the UK. Trailblazer is designed, built and tested at Rheinmetall Electronics UK’s headquarters on the Isle of Wight where the company opened a dedicated production facility in 2019, specifically to enable in-house development, production and testing of all products.
RBSL’s upgrade solution for Challenger 3 incorporates state-of-the-art electronic architecture, lethality, survivability, surveillance and target acquisition capability enhancements. Rheinmetall Electronics UK are proud to supply Trailblazer into this programme that will provide the British Army with the most capable tank in NATO, made in the UK.
Rheinmetall Electronics UK will operate as the lead contractor for supply of the Driver Vision System for Challenger 3. The solution has three key components: the Rheinmetall Electronics UK delivered Trailblazer Camera System with front and rear mounted units, allowing the driver to safety navigate the vehicle, both forward and in reverse. These are complemented by a novel display solution: a high performance, low latency Embedded Image Periscope meeting the demanding use-case of the Challenger 3 driver and finally, a Remote Control Panel providing intuitive control of the system functions. These key items are sourced from UK business partners and all parties use a largely UK-based supply chain.
Trailblazer acts as the eyes of the armoured vehicle, delivering functionally safe manoeuvrability to the driver. TRAILBLAZER is the chosen Driver Vision System for hatches-down driving, extending visibility beyond the normal daylight spectrum with high performance electro-optics and featuring the most modern processing technology.
Trailblazer’s software defined capability ensures that the system can be continuously updated throughout its lifespan, extending longevity of service and adaptability to requirements as they evolve over the life of the contract and beyond. Trailblazer is designed in accordance with the UK Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) standards.
Richard Streeter, Rheinmetall Electronics UK’s Managing Director said: “The Trailblazer system was developed directly to meet the requirement set of Challenger 3. Arguably, it is the most advanced Driver Aid on the market today and sets the benchmark for Driver Vision. In the Challenger 3 solution, we have coupled our class-leading sensors with a novel Embedded Image Periscope, allowing the Driver to seamless shift between Direct and Indirect Viewing, without changing pose or posture. This supports the vehicle mission and reduces Driver fatigue. This is a unique capability, being developed to address the demanding requirement set of this formidable vehicle. We look forward to working closely with RBSL and the UK Army to bring this capability into service.”
Wayne Cranwell, Head of Sales said: “The whole team at REUK are both proud and excited to support RBSL in the delivery of this step change in mobility to the Challenger 3 crew, and to the UK MOD. Delivering common capability to Challenger3 and Boxer enhances Rheinmetall Electronics UK’s engineers’ ability to develop new and advanced features, keeping the British Army in a position of overmatch against its adversaries for many decades to come.”
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