APPLICATION OF THE COMPUTER-SIMULATION MODEL NTVPM-86 TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW VERSION OF THE INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE ASCOD

In the past, the task of evaluating soft-ground mobility of off-road vehicles has been carried out primarily using empirical methods (or models), such as the NATO Reference Mobility Model (NRMM) or the Rowland method based on the mean maximum pressure (MMP). The databases for these empirical methods were mostly established decades ago. Consequently, in many cases, they cannot be used in evaluating new generations of vehicles with new design features, as the mobility of these vehicles simply cannot be described within the limits of these empirical databases. Since the 1980s, a series of comprehensive and realistic simulation models for design and performance evaluation of off-road vehicles has emerged. They are based on the detailed studies of the physical nature of vehicle-terrain interaction, taking into account all major vehicle design features and pertinent terrain characteristics. This paper describes the application of one of these models, known as NTVPM-86, developed by Vehicle Systems Development Corporation, Canada, to the design and development of a new version of the ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle, produced by a joint venture formed by Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara of Spain and Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Austria. The results of field tests performed by the Military Technology Agency, Ministry of Defence, Vienna, Austria and released recently confirm that, as predicted by the NTVPM-86 model, the new version of the ASCOD has much improved performance than the original over soft terrain, including soft clay and snow-covered terrain. This is another example of the successful application of the NTVPM-86 model to the design and development of a new generation of high-speed tracked vehicles.