Lockheed's Havoc 8x8 combat vehicle completes off-road testing
Lockheed Martin's entry in a competition for a new U.S. Marines Corps amphibious combat vehicle has successfully completed rugged off-road testing.
The testing, over a 10-day period, was to evaluate the Havoc's capabilities. It was conducted at the Nevada Automotive Test Center's Butte Mountain Trail course -- a mile-long course with nearly 1,000 feet of elevation change and with rocky stretches."Over the course of 10 days of testing, we performed more than 40 test runs up and down the mountain while demonstrating the vehicle's ride quality and crew comfort," said Scott Greene, vice president of Ground Vehicles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Not once did the Havoc fail."The testing was funded and conducted by the company.The Havoc is an armored 8x8 multi-mission amphibious expeditionary ground combat vehicle. It is based on the Armored Modular Vehicle of Finnish defense company Patria, which is Lockheed's partner in the vehicle competition.It is 25.4 feet long, 9.3 feet wide, has a top speed of 65 miles per hour and can carry about a dozen people.A request for proposals for a new amphibious combat vehicle is expected to be issued by the Marines next year.
