Domestic and Arctic Mobility Enhancement Project

[lenaitch]

I haven't seen this posted yet, but a video from CTV popped up recently in my feed talking about a new vehicle being tested in the arctic by the CAF.

Canadian Armed Forces test made-in-Canada 'fat trucks' for Arctic travel

The company makes several versions of the Fat Truck, so I suspect there could be a few different ones that would be of use to the CAF if we wanted to spend the money in Canada.

FT5 WAGON (Fat Truck 8X8 Wagon)

Isn't that a variation of the Russian-designed Sherp? I thought that was being licence-built in Winnipeg.

 

[Furniture]

Isn't that a variation of the Russian-designed Sherp? I thought that was being licence-built in Winnipeg.

Seems like a similar but different design. There area few out there now using the overall Sherp template of giant tires on a small chassis.

I find it interesting that it's already being tested/used by the CAF in the Arctic, but there has been little chatter about it.

If it meets the CAFs needs well enough, and provides good jobs in Canada, its better than an off-shore platform.

 

[Seyek]

Seems like a similar but different design. There area few out there now using the overall Sherp template of giant tires on a small chassis.

I find it interesting that it's already being tested/used by the CAF in the Arctic, but there has been little chatter about it.

If it meets the CAFs needs well enough, and provides good jobs in Canada, its better than an off-shore platform.

Maybe it's being looked at as a blue fleet vehicle, they have a list of defence vehicles but I don't know if any are actually in service anywhere.

FAT Truck defence vehicles for those curious.

I kind of dig the Ironhorse for moving heavy stuff around.

 

[suffolkowner]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2059698208494793093

the three contenders?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Buy 5 of each, run them hard and test the support system as well. Then pick a winner

 

[PrairieFella]

Buy 5 of each, run them hard and test the support system as well. Then pick a winner

The D12 is certainly the outsider here. Part of me is hoping Roshel gets LUV so BAE gets DAME which opens the door to get an armed version of the the BVS10 like what was used in Afghanistan. Heck the armoured corps has arctic cav concepts using something like those floating around haha.

 

[suffolkowner]

The D12 is certainly the outsider here. Part of me is hoping Roshel gets LUV so BAE gets DAME which opens the door to get an armed version of the the BVS10 like what was used in Afghanistan. Heck the armoured corps has arctic cav concepts using something like those floating around haha.

UTV is Canadian though so maybe that gives it the edge?

 

[PrairieFella]

UTV is Canadian though so maybe that gives it the edge?

Im not sure if hybrid electric drives are the play in the arctic though. Thats a lot of risk in a place where your vehicle going down results in you freezing to death in minutes.

 

[suffolkowner]

Im not sure if hybrid electric drives are the play in the arctic though. Thats a lot of risk in a place where your vehicle going down results in you freezing to death in minutes.

i think it would be the opposite. electric motors are extremely robust.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

i think it would be the opposite. electric motors are extremely robust.

Many things are robust till they meet arctic conditions, coldsoaked metal breaks in ways a lot of designers did not plan for. That being said electrical motors can be very robust. That's why I would buy some outright and just use them hard in various conditions and see what breaks and how easy is it to get spares and replace components.

 

[suffolkowner]

Many things are robust till they meet arctic conditions, coldsoaked metal breaks in ways a lot of designers did not plan for. That being said electrical motors can be very robust. That's why I would buy some outright and just use them hard in various conditions and see what breaks and how easy is it to get spares and replace components.

I can certainly envision the circumstances where they fail but i doubt its a cold problem alone. Every mine in the arctic is using electric motors outside year round just like everywhere else in the world.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I can certainly envision the circumstances where they fail but i doubt its a cold problem alone. Every mine in the arctic is using electric motors outside year round just like everywhere else in the world.

The technology is capable if properly done, but a lot of the components might not have been designed with that extreme in mind, hence the reason you buy some and run them in those conditions and see what breaks. On one mining job, we utterly destroyed our skidoos running them in minus 40 for a month everyday.