The US Army has awarded Ricardo Defense a $20 million deal for the continued supply of safety-critical systems to retrofit the army’s High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (Humvee) fleet.
The agreement ensures the delivery of Antilock Brake System/Electronic Stability Control (ABS/ESC) retrofit kits.
The Ricardo-produced ABS/ESC system integrates a complete set of solutions to the architecture of the vehicles, ensuring the safety of both soldiers and operators during critical missions.
Features include antilock braking, electronic stability control, active rollover protection, traction control, and improved brake calipers, pads, and rotors.
“This latest award showcases Ricardo’s capability to solve tough challenges for legacy systems that require a future-looking integrated solution,” Ricardo Defense president Chet Gryczan said in a statement.
“Aligned to our core values of sustainable, safe, and smart mobility, the successful deployment of Ricardo’s ABS/ESC safety-critical system ensures the safety of soldiers and operators remain at the forefront of every training and operational mission.”
Previous Partnerships
Earlier this year, Ricardo already delivered over 11,000 ABS/ESC systems for application to the US Army.
The July 2022 agreement was worth over $18 million.
In a statement, Ricardo said more than 7,000 new production or recapitalized Humvees have been delivered to the US Army with the company’s integrated ABS/ESC technology.
“We are extremely proud to support the US Army’s objective [of] ensuring that soldier safety remains a top priority throughout each mission,” Gryczan said at the time.
Humvee Safety Concerns
Due to numerous safety concerns surrounding the Humvee, the US Army awarded AM General a $733-million contract last month to develop an Expanded Capacity Vehicle (ECV) variant.
The lightweight tactical vehicle will feature improved suspension, brakes, corrosion prevention, cooling system, and a more powerful engine for better performance.
In August, two US Air Force soldiers were wounded after their Humvee crashed in Weld County, Colorado.
The Colorado State Patrol said four soldiers were inside the military vehicle with two injured transported to the hospital by helicopter.
A June 2022 accident killed a 19-year-old cadet participating in a training event at Saylor Creek Range.
Two other cadets were injured and rushed to St. Alphonsus Hospital.