Advanced Vehicle Systems Engineering Group, located in Millersville Maryland, is staffed and equipped to support military vehicle systems integration and design. Our focus is to ensure systems fielded meet required US DoD Military specifications and are tailored in such a way as to fit the ultimate users ideals.

AVS is fortunate to have Contractor Logistic Support contracts which, inevitably place these ultimate users in direct contact with us on regular basis. This has proven to be an excellent feed back conduit through which we have able to keep up with the ever changing deployment configurations and operational needs.

Over the years Advanced Vehicle Systems has gained the reputation as a company who listens and acts. Or to put it in Marine Corps speak;
‘AVS is a company that leans forward !’

Rather than generating a web site review that continually repeats capability and can do statements, we’d like to show you a couple of things that we’ve done. Things that have been fielded and our customers themselves are, by word and mouth, promoting to their peers.

To go from an ‘off the shelf’ product to a fully integrated weapons platform as that of the Marine Corp’s Interim Fast Attack Vehicle or IFAV takes time and a good deal of innovation.

Internal & external helicopter transportation, deep water fording, equipment stowage plan, weapons interfaces, night vision, communications, best crew ergonomics, reliability and safety. All have their place in the final system configuration.

The first job and probably the most critical task is to ensure that the initial base platform is the right one for the job! AVS is more than just fortunate to work with two legends of the off road world. The Mercedes Benz G wagon and the Pinzgauer from Automotive-Technik in the UK. These vehicles are manufactured by companies that have second to none products and an uncompromising reputation for quality. AVS engineering group is responsible for ensuring that the correct build specification is generated and is the optimum configuration from which to integrate to meet the requirements of the US Defense Department contract.

AVS brings together through analysis, evaluation, consultation and design a system that meets spec; that can be both fielded and supported.

One such case is illustrated below where AVS re-designed a complete front bumper system and the method of attachment to the vehicle frame. The design remit was to achieve; full compliance with Mil Std 209J Transportability, full frontal vehicle protection, method for quick winch attachment and removal, rapid recovery points, helicopter lift rings, HMMWV recovery interfaces, provide safe high lift jacking points, be of minimum weight. These bumpers are now produced for us in the United States by Fey Engineering of California.

CASE STUDY: On initial fielding the IFAV was integrated with an excellent heavy weapons pedestal from Military Systems Group of Nashville, a renowned company for their designs and products used predominantly in the boat and ship world. As can be seen in the picture to the right however, the system had problems when firing transverse to the vehicle. Due to the narrow confines of the vehicle the gunner was hanging over the side, especially when firing the M2 50 Cal Heavy Machine Gun. We needed to identify a method where by the operator could be moved back into the vehicle without adding additional structure, such as a turret configuration. That would conflict with the vehicles’ ability to be flown internal to the MH 53 E helicopter. Following some various design iterations the design result was the AVS ‘Off Set’. Essentially an arm, which moved the weapon away from the centerline of the pedestal by sum 14 inches, maintaining good elevation, T&E interface, removable for internal flight, relatively light weight and most importantly, safe. Moving the weapon away from the centerline by 14 inches isn’t as easy as it sounds, after all the 50 Cal has a recoil of over 1000lbs. To finally achieve the correct geometry, materials and fabrication methods the final design followed an iterative development cycle using state of the art 3d CAD (Solidworks®) and Finite Element Analysis software (COSMOS® & COSMOS/M®). Structural analysis assessed both linear and non-linear load paths throughout the final assembled system. Prototypes were then tested by Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center simulating over 150,000 firing cycles. These systems are produced for us by Bollinger Shipyards of Louisiana. So successful the design that the ’Offset” system has been integrated across the IFAV fleet, HMMWV and some heavy vehicles via custom made interface plates. Adapters are now available for interface to both M240G & M249 Light Machine Guns.

AVS represents the Automotive-Technik ‘Pinzgauer’ military vehicles for the United States. As a part of the engineering function accurate models are necessary to provide a platform from which various integrated applications can be quickly assessed and as required, without the need to generate mockups or expensive prototypes. These models are generated in Solidworks® and can be configured in any desirable manner to carryout preliminary design and feasibility studies. Assessments, in addition to being visually representative, are used to provide accurate FEA models, volume displacement, mass, centers of gravity, potential interferences, design drawings etc. These models, as a system is fielded provide for excellent graphics that supplement technical manuals and support documentation. Not only are the vehicles modeled, all ancillary equipment is available to us from our in-house equipment libraries. Modeled equipments include all our trailers, weapon systems, radio systems, various ammunition storage containers, water and fuel cans, various jacks, compressors, special tools etc.

Advanced Vehicle Systems Engineering group have gained extensive experience in the design and integration of equipments to be transported both internally and externally by helicopter. In these efforts our facility location in Millersville MD has proven ideal. Patuxent River (NAVAIR) is an hour south, Aberdeen Proving Grounds an hour north and CADEROCK an hour west. To achieve best design, we have generated accurate computer models of both the MH 53 E and V22 Osprey to ensure optimum tie down patterns, CG placement and associated stress analysis.