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2020-06-07

Supacat and Soucy Offer CRT for Armoured Fleet Upgrades

Military vehicle developer, Supacat that has operations in Devon, UK, and Melbourne, Australia, signed a Teaming Agreement in March with Soucy International Inc., the Quebec, Canada, based company in Composite Rubber Tracks (CRT) for defence equipment.

The teaming offers Soucy’s high performance CRT systems to meet the requirements of the UK armed forces, and others, to upgrade their new and legacy armoured fleets from Steel Track to Composite Rubber Tracks.

The integration and support for Soucy tracks could be provided by Supacat, an established prime contractor to both the UK and Australian MoDs, thus securing high value jobs within local supply chains. Supacat’s OEM engineering capability and experienced field support teams would ensure long-term sustainment of vehicles fitted with CRTs and a commitment to support troops in peacetime and during operations.

From Mobility to Traction

Soucy has been in the vanguard of Composite Rubber Track development to not only match but surpass the performance of steel track systems in all measurable areas, from mobility and traction to cost per Km. The company provides defence tracks up to a GVW of 50mT and continues developing compounds for higher GVW. Soucy tracks are approved by military forces worldwide and it has supplied Composite Rubber Tracks for platforms such as M113, Warthog, Bronco, BVS10, BAE Systems MPF, CV90 and Redback, with many more in development.

The value of the UK armed forces’ requirement is estimated at £500m in track sales over 25 years but deliver potential savings to the UK MoD of £330m from just four platform configurations transitioned to CRTs, based on current track mileage allocations.

For the UK MoD, the Soucy – Supacat teaming enables it to acquire leading technology through an innovation led British SME and level up employment into South West England; and post Brexit, to further the UK – Canada trade partnership in helping Soucy expand its presence in the UK to create new job opportunities.

CRTs reduce the noise and vibration levels generated by steel that impact the health of both vehicle system and user. They significantly improve crew safety, durability and system life while lowering fuel and life cycle costs. Rubber tracks also benefit programmes with weight restrictions, such as the Mobile Fires Platform (MFP).

Nick Ames, CEO of Supacat parent SC Group said: "We look forward to working with Soucy on bringing the undeniable benefits of rubber tracks to the relevant UK and Australian vehicle fleets in the coming months and years ensuring the economic benefits are retained in both countries”.

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