The KAPLAN HYBRID vehicle exhibited by FNSS at IDEF 2023 International Defense Industry Fair, Hall 3, booth 311-C was launched. Attaching importance to sustainable innovation, FNSS has made significant breakthroughs in the original design and development of new generation propulsion systems, suspension systems, gearboxes and powertrains in line with the development of new generation technologies for armored combat vehicles and being a pioneer in the sector.
Within the scope of the HYBRID Power Group development project, which started to work in the FNSS R&D center in 2021, the assembly of the first prototype vehicle was completed, and control software development and improvement activities continue. With the project, which is planned to start critical verification tests towards the end of 2023, FNSS; aims to develop a unique hybrid power pack solution that can be integrated into tracked vehicle platforms in its product range and likely to be produced in the future, and all tracked vehicle families in need of modernization.
Another important goal is to produce a reliable alternative solution for tracked vehicle transmission, which is heavily dependent on abroad and where the number of manufacturers is limited, with the KAPLAN Hybrid Power Group. Developed for tracked vehicles weighing up to 20 tons, this solution can be adapted to new tracked vehicle production programs and modernization programs according to user needs. It is aimed to be resized and used for tracked vehicles of different tonnages in the very near future.
In addition, FNSS aims to create superiority in the field thanks to the new hybrid diesel-electric tracked vehicle propulsion system it has developed, with the features of silent driving, extended silent tracking and the ability to add new generation weapon systems with high energy needs, which enable the vehicle to be used in combat and reconnaissance scenarios.
KAPLAN HYBRID offers superior off-road performance for a tracked vehicle with its external transmittable power and increased fuel economy. Thanks to the electric motors that produce high torque at low revs and the new hybrid drive system, the vehicle accelerates faster than other tracked platforms. In this way, it is aimed to provide a critical advantage on the battlefield by performing the necessary maneuvers on the battlefield more quickly.
While some of the sub-systems used in the project are designed by FNSS engineers, the development of domestic alternatives of some imported components used in the prototype process in order to be time efficient is continuing simultaneously. One of the most important components to be produced locally is the cross-drive gearbox with a unique design of FNSS, and FNSS has become one of the few companies with the technological competence to develop this system.