The US. Military interest a silent motorcycle.
The U.S. military is interested in silent motorcycle
All of us who grew up on military films and books, can easily imagine soldiers on motorcycles. Usually born in the head of the image of German motorcyclists of mechanized units of the Wehrmacht, rarely emerge Pictures Red Army, with almost always motorcycle with a sidecar. But all this is still distant images of the Second World War. Today motorcycles in the armies of the world have become very rare, but they have not lost their relevance for solving specific tasks. In particular, the U.S. defense research agency DARPA commissioned by the U.S. military has begun development of a hybrid stealth motorcycle.
In this technique, special forces teams are interested, who can use hybrid bikes in special operations. Motorcycles they need to conduct lightning raids and penetration in remote areas. Therefore DARPA working on a silent hybrid motorcycle that could operate on electricity, from conventional fuel and was thus invisible to thermal imaging. In fact, it is a fast vehicle to make silent raids.
The reason for using a hybrid system that can operate on gasoline and electricity is that they allow the Special Forces diversant penetrate deep into the rear of the enemy on the road by means of a silent electric motor while simultaneously giving the possibility of providing a high speed movement and long range per through the use of an auxiliary fuel tank. And although the project is currently still in the research stage, the company direct developer Logos Technologies expects to combine its own quiet multifuel hybrid power system with elektrotsiklom of BRD Motorcycles, which specializes in the production of sports motorcycles of various classes.
"Easy, quiet and quite sturdy machine, having four-wheel drive can become a reliable tool in special operations, which are conducted by the U.S. Army, particularly in extreme circumstances and on a cross-country", - said Wade Pulliam specialist advanced developments in the company Logos Technologies. According Pulliama, military today are increasingly using small-sized battle groups that are sufficiently long period of time without access to basic military infrastructure. "In these circumstances, they have to rely on efficient and unpretentious technologies like hybrid ELECTRIC. Our motorcycle can be attributed to the advanced technology, while it is easy to operate and relatively inexpensive, almost silent in operation and can use multiple fuels, "- he touts his company's project. Technology "stealth" hybrid military motorcycle implemented through the use of a hybrid motor that can run on electricity, and the hydrocarbon fuel.
Among other things, this bike will be able not only to increase the autonomy of their movement compared to ordinary motorcycles, which are equipped only with internal combustion engines (ICE), but also to act as a backup power source for the military. If somewhere in the way of the soldier there need to connect to the power supply, its role could easily take on the battery installed on stealth motorcycle. Also installed on the motor bike will ensure fuel economy by at least 10%.
At the same time, according to the plans of engineers from DARPA, the electricity for the new bike will act as an added benefit. Mainly it will be used as a backup source for movement only during special operations or secretive when making maneuvers. All the rest of the bike will ride on a conventional internal combustion engine, burning fuel standard American brand JP-8 (jet fuel). This fuel is a universal fuel for NATO military equipment. It is used in the Air Force and the Army to fuel tanks, ground equipment, mobile and portable diesel generators (as a replacement for diesel fuel). If we talk about such a parameter as the volume of motorcycle engine, that according to preliminary information, the hybrid bike can provide a fourfold reduction in noise compared with ordinary motorcycles (about 90 dB).
BRD RedShift MX
To develop a basic platform hybrid motorcycle you plan to use an existing model of motorcycle racing BRD RedShift MX. This fully electric motorcycle 100 kg today can be purchased for 15 thousand dollars. Currently bike RedShift MX provides a two-hour power reserve, which can be increased by the installation of a fuel tank, the capacity of which will be determined by the U.S. military in the course of the research. Focus on the electrical component of the new system due to the fact that the agency DARPA much more thinks about quietness and stealth military motorcycle than about its effectiveness. And although the existing unmodified version of RedShift MX motorcycle able to reach a speed of 130 km / h, it is unlikely this feature is useful for travel over rough terrain and off-road, which is due to conduct special operations.
This is not to say that the idea of using special commands silent motorcycles, there is only the American military in 2014. Even last year, the company Zero Motorcycles has received a military contract to develop similar elektrotsikla designed for special operations forces. By motorcycle the following requirements: the ability to keyless ignition and complete silencing electrical, availability of replacement battery packs, which would be enough for 2 hours of work.
Although designers of Logos say that their motorcycle-SUV is the first all-wheel drive car of this class flex-fuel motor, it is not so. In June 2013 the company Zero Motorcycles has already announced a similar project - elektrotsikle called MMX. According to the information portal Defence Media Network this bike was designed specifically for the needs of the military and gave an idea of how it should look similar technique. Zero Motorcycles engineers say that the thermal signature of this motorcycle nearly invisible to modern thermal imagers, and its engine runs almost silently. To control edektrotsikle MMX was installed with a special dashboard dials, which replaces the traditional key, and allows you to quickly start a motorcycle, as well as manage its systems.
At the same time it was reported that all options motorcycle MMX could be configured via Bluetooth using a special application that can be installed on a tablet or phone. Front and rear of the motorcycle had special connectors for connecting additional military equipment and infrared night vision systems. The modular battery can be easily replaced in the field, wherein elektrotsikl can operate efficiently at long it is immersed in water to a depth of 1 meter.
However, unlike the company Zero Motorcycles, Logos Technologies focuses primarily on breakthrough scientific technologies. The company worked on the lasers, biofuels, ultra sensors tracking systems cyber security. Among her clients were the Pentagon and the American police. So we can count on the fact that the company Logos can surprise us with something.
Konstantin Sivkov Doctor of Military Sciences, vice-president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, said that the Russian army has no combat motorcycles, since the effectiveness of such techniques is low. "It's like the story of American armored vehicles" Stryker "Afghanistan has demonstrated that this technique has a low light performance, it easily breaks through the armor, but where to go if you already released 4000 machines? Serious models of weapons on a motorcycle does not install if you do not attach to the bike stroller, making it pointless. If not take urban conditions of use, the unit can be biker identified relatively easily, and then destroyed, "- said in an interview Sivkov" Russian planet. "
Zero Motorcycles MMX
According to the expert, silent light motorcycles are suitable only for a narrow range of tasks. These bikes are suitable for the application of selective strikes on individual objects, reconnaissance. Act with them is best in areas with well-developed road network. While Konstantin Sivkov believes that the use of the electric motor is highly doubtful to go somewhere would need a battery weight of about 20 kg.
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