Rheinmetall, the largest supplier of military vehicles to the Australian Defence Force has successfully completed demonstration trials of the Soucy Composite Rubber Track (CRT) system on the Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). The CRT demonstration confirmed the Lynx IFV was capable of utilising both steel and composite rubber tracks. The vehicle was reconfigured from its base steel track system to the CRT, successfully demonstrating vehicle operation on the CRT system and then returned to the base Steel Track configuration with great success.
The Rheinmetall Lynx IFV has the modularity and flexibility to be operated with both types of track systems, allowing armies to configure the vehicle to meet the operational need. This ensures the Lynx IFV can support the benefits of either system. In tomorrow’s battlefield, flexibility is key to match vehicle capability to the required threat environment. Lynx with its design for modularity is able to be configured to meet that emergent environment.
The flexibility of incorporating CRT as a track option on Lynx increased the vehicles’ ability to meet a dynamic threat environment. With the flexibility of the CRT fitted to the Lynx, the platform can be configured for a lighter all up weight to allow easier air transportation and to potentially reduce overall running costs through the service life of the vehicles. Both track systems have their advantages and while it is for the end user to determine whether a Steel or Composite Rubber track is most appropriate.
Soucy Defense (Soucy) specialises in advanced composite rubber track (CRT) technology for 45m vehicles. This technology is supported by functional analysis design, its own rubber compounding and research and development (R&D) facilities, advanced rubber compound characterisation, modern dynamic simulations, customised production equipment and an automated bench test. This ductile composite rubber track technology can be customised to meet a wide range of requirements using advanced rubber compounding and computer simulations.
