The KAPLAN HYBRID Vehicle exhibited for the first time by FNSS at IDEF 2023 International Defense Industry Fair. FNSS made a significant breakthrough in areas such as the indigenous design and development of new generation drive systems, suspension systems, gearboxes and powertrains in line with the development and adaptation of new generation technologies for armoured combat vehicles. HYBRID Power Group development project started in the FNSS R&D Centre in 2021. The assembly of the first prototype vehicle was completed and control software development and improvement activities continue. The critical verification tests are planned to start towards the end of 2023. With this project, FNSS aims to develop a unique hybrid power pack solution that can be integrated into tracked platforms in its product range and likely to be produced in the future, and to all tracked vehicle families in need of capability enhancement and life extension.
With the Hybrid Power Group, another important goal is to produce a reliable alternative solution for tracked vehicle transmission. Developed for tracked vehicles weighing up to 20 tons, this solution can be adapted to new tracked vehicle development programs and capability enhancement and life extension programs according to user needs. It is aimed to be resized and used for tracked vehicles of different tonnages in the very near future. In addition, FNSS aims to create superiority in the field thanks to the new hybrid (diesel-electric) tracked vehicle propulsion system it has developed, with the features of silent drive, extended silent tracking and the ability to integrate new generation weapon systems with high energy needs. All these developments enable the vehicle to be used in combat and reconnaissance scenarios.
HYBRID Power Pack offers remarkable off-road performance for a tracked vehicle with its external transmittable power and increased fuel economy. Thanks to the electric engine that produce high torque at low revs and the new hybrid propulsion system, the vehicle has an increased acceleration response than other tracked platforms. In this way, it is aimed to provide a critical advantage on the field in order to respond quickly to the battlefield conditions. While some of the sub-systems used in this project are designed by FNSS engineers, the development of local alternatives of some imported components, which are used in the prototype process in order to be time efficient, is continued simultaneously. One of the most important components to be produced locally is the cross-drive gearbox with a unique design of FNSS. FNSS has become one of the few companies with the technological competence to develop this type of systems.
