As Singapore Technologies Kinetics announces the delivery of two prototype 8x8 Terrex 3 vehicles to Australia to participate in trials, it is not as well know where the vehicle came from.
In fact the prototypes were built in Ireland by engineering and technology firm Timoney, based in Navan, which has been better known in the past for providing drive train and axles.
Terrex 3 weighs 35t and is not amphibious, like the previous variants that were. Simon Wilkins, business development director at Timoney, told Shephard that with a staff of 35 and their workshop facility they managed to build the two prototype Terrex 3 vehicles in just eight weeks after the first parts arrived in Ireland in February.
Looking ahead to the UK’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme, Wilkins expects all the usual vehicle manufacturing suspects to be there and believes there is work for them here too.
He said that this reflects their business strategy, to go out and help independent countries develop their own armoured vehicles by providing design and engineering assistance and offer an entire automotive solution for ‘below the hull’.
The company is now expanding an offer of complete automotive solutions for aspiring military vehicle manufacturers through technology transfer.
The Terrex 3 was developed from the common baseline vehicle and ‘up-specced’ so that it can handle more armour.
Not only has Timoney been heavily involved in building Terrex prototypes for STK, they supported Lockheed Martin with a design in their bid for the USMC ACV1.1, which LM built in Dallas; and they have helped state-run Emirates Defence Technology build their 8x8 called Enigma that was displayed at IDEX in 2015.
Although Wilkins is not able to say where the Enigma vehicle in the UAE was built he said that the 8x8 was heading for summer trials this year.
The company also 100% designed the Bushmaster vehicle, better known as the vehicle product marketed by Thales Australia, which actually builds it under license.
Timoney is now offering an entire powerpack and build prototypes for their customers. The latest partnership announced at Eurosatory is with Yugoimport-SDPR, which is developing its new Lazar 8x8 vehicle with Timoney, which has designed the driveline, axles, steering system and transfer case.
An initial set of 12 vehicles has been contracted with further orders expected. Texelis, which is Timoney’s production partner, is building the vehicles but they hope for more work to come to Navan.
The Terrex vehicle has gone through three variations. The first that Timoney helped design was the 24t vehicle, which was then updated to a 26t vehicle, which was demonstrated in the US for the USMC ACV1.1 programme.
The result of this testing was new specifications developed for the USMC with a new driveline that brought the vehicle up to 28t.Two prototypes were built by Timoney, P1 and P2 that were funded by STK to help them achieve a downselect for ACV.
For this programme they are now building 16 vehicles for further trials and it was one of these that was displayed at Singapore.
Timoney does not just do 8x8s, the company is active in the smaller armoured vehicle markets too working on 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles. They are with Polish company PGZ on 4x4s and are taking the UAE concept further to provide a driveable rolling chassis that can be used to develop MRAP-type vehicles.
(Shephard)
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