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Army shows off alternative energy options
Magicvalley.com
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Hybrid tankers that can power an entire airfield. Electric chariots that can zip soldiers to their destinations. Fuel cell-powered all terrain vehicles that can roll along in near silence.
These are among alternative-energy vehicles being developed by the Army, which showed off a dozen prototypes Thursday at Elmendorf Air Force Base.
The Army envisions the vehicles greatly reducing its fuel consumption on the battlefield and at urban posts in the near future with technology other military branches are watching closely. In fact, the Air Force has assigned a representative to the Army's Detroit-based National Automotive Center, which is developing the vehicles through partnerships with manufacturers.
"Our intention is to find common-use items that work not only commercially but with the military," said Army spokesman Eric Emerton.
The open house at an Elmendorf hangar was the show-and-tell portion of a four-day symposium in Anchorage co-hosted by the Army to explore clean energy sources for and from Alaska.
Military and industry engineers and others led visitors around vehicles ready for use and under development. Examples ranged from relatively humble Segway Human Transporters and three-wheel American Chariots to a heavy-duty hybrid truck and two versions of a surveillance carrier.
All represent the virtues of energy-saving technology that's so crucial at a time when the Army burns 750,000 gallons of fuel a day in Iraq alone, said NAC Director Dennis Wend.
"We can take these technologies and reduce our fuel on the battlefield," he said. "At the same time, we can put these technologies on our bases and be a good neighbor to our industrial partners by sharing information."
Reality, however, is three to five years away for the more advanced equipment, according to Wend. The automotive research center, created a decade ago, has intensified its alternative energy development only in the last few years.
Besides corporate money, the center receives $100 million in federal research and development funds. But a recent $60 million infusion for a two-year pilot program will enable it to develop hybrid battlefield trucks.
"If that works out successfully, we could be looking at another billion dollars to put them into production, to actually produce several thousand vehicles for the Army's battlefields," Wend said.
Among the more impressive items on display was the SmarTruck II, a technologically enhanced armored vehicle. The modified Chevrolet Silverado is loaded with gear that would make James Bond proud -- luxury seats, a missile launcher, electric generator and far-range surveillance equipment, including night-vision capabilities.
Full Article Here
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Magicvalley.com
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Hybrid tankers that can power an entire airfield. Electric chariots that can zip soldiers to their destinations. Fuel cell-powered all terrain vehicles that can roll along in near silence.
These are among alternative-energy vehicles being developed by the Army, which showed off a dozen prototypes Thursday at Elmendorf Air Force Base.
The Army envisions the vehicles greatly reducing its fuel consumption on the battlefield and at urban posts in the near future with technology other military branches are watching closely. In fact, the Air Force has assigned a representative to the Army's Detroit-based National Automotive Center, which is developing the vehicles through partnerships with manufacturers.
"Our intention is to find common-use items that work not only commercially but with the military," said Army spokesman Eric Emerton.
The open house at an Elmendorf hangar was the show-and-tell portion of a four-day symposium in Anchorage co-hosted by the Army to explore clean energy sources for and from Alaska.
Military and industry engineers and others led visitors around vehicles ready for use and under development. Examples ranged from relatively humble Segway Human Transporters and three-wheel American Chariots to a heavy-duty hybrid truck and two versions of a surveillance carrier.
All represent the virtues of energy-saving technology that's so crucial at a time when the Army burns 750,000 gallons of fuel a day in Iraq alone, said NAC Director Dennis Wend.
"We can take these technologies and reduce our fuel on the battlefield," he said. "At the same time, we can put these technologies on our bases and be a good neighbor to our industrial partners by sharing information."
Reality, however, is three to five years away for the more advanced equipment, according to Wend. The automotive research center, created a decade ago, has intensified its alternative energy development only in the last few years.
Besides corporate money, the center receives $100 million in federal research and development funds. But a recent $60 million infusion for a two-year pilot program will enable it to develop hybrid battlefield trucks.
"If that works out successfully, we could be looking at another billion dollars to put them into production, to actually produce several thousand vehicles for the Army's battlefields," Wend said.
Among the more impressive items on display was the SmarTruck II, a technologically enhanced armored vehicle. The modified Chevrolet Silverado is loaded with gear that would make James Bond proud -- luxury seats, a missile launcher, electric generator and far-range surveillance equipment, including night-vision capabilities.
Full Article Here
