A Suspension System suitable for Wheels or Tracks 2004-01-1587

In the moves to transform armed forces both in the United States and Europe a common feature has been the trend towards lighter armored vehicles. This has brought forward all the old arguments of wheels versus tracks as the weight category of interest is right in the area where there is a convergence, whether perceived or real, in the performance capabilities of the two technologies. The reality is that each has its particular attributes and disadvantages. It is acknowledged that the optimum solution from a performance standpoint is a mix of tracks and wheels. The negative consequence of this is the increased logistic and maintenance burden. This paper describes a novel, though proven, suspension system which is equally suited to both wheels and tracks, permitting an identical platform to be used and so eliminating the logistic and maintenance issue.