21 May 2020, Leading high mobility military vehicle developer, Supacat, with operations in Devon, UK, and Melbourne, Australia, signed a Teaming Agreement in March 2020 with Soucy International Inc., the Quebec, Canada, based global leader in Composite Rubber Tracks (CRT) for defence equipment. The teaming offers Soucy’s market leading, high performance Composite Rubber Track 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 the long-term sustainment of vehicles fitted with Composite Rubber Tracks and a commitment to support troops in peacetime and during operations.
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. Soucy 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 Composite Rubber Tracks, based on current track mileage allocations.
For the UK MoD, the Soucy – Supacat teaming enables it to acquire global market 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. Other armed forces in Europe are planning upgrades but acceptance onto some of the British Army’s larger fleet is key to the UK-Canada team.
Composite Rubber Tracks 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 are delighted to be teamed with the world leading rubber track manufacturer, Soucy. We have had experience with tracks over the years for both military and civil applications, most notably the RNLI Launch and Recovery System. This teaming takes our exposure to rubber tracks to a new level and 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.”
Normand Lalonde said, “This teaming agreement between Soucy and Supacat is directly linked to the global positioning strategy of Soucy. It will allow us to enhance our value proposition offer of CRT to the UK MOD and to the different European and Australian armies while supporting local employment. It will allow the Armies to capitalize greatly on the benefits brought by the CRT helping them to increase their operational capabilities. Soucy is very honored to work with Supacat, both companies have the same values.”
Media Contacts:
Soucy:
Angeline Heckel-Elies, Soucy Defense Division, +1 (819) 474 4522, [email protected]
Supacat:
Nicky Yeoman, SC Group, +44 (0)7568 106904 [email protected]
Celia Turner, CTPR, +44 (0)7703 344425 [email protected]
About CRT Tracks
• Increased durability over conventional steel tracks.
• Reduced vibration (up to 70%), noise (up to 13dB), thermal signature, braking distance, vehicle weight (up to 50%) and fuel consumption (up to 30-35%).
• Reduced vehicle crew fatigue.
• Significant reduction in life cycle costs and virtually maintenance free.
• Elimination of damage to infrastructure.
About Soucy
Soucy has been leading the Rubber Track charge for over 50 years – starting from snowmobile to agricultural systems, and over the past 26 years for defence applications. Soucy’s expertise and knowledge of rubber track applications lies in compounding and track construction. Managing the limitations of Rubber, GVW and heat generation are the key elements in meeting customer requirements which can exceed steel track systems. This balance is critical in design and Soucy is the global leader in providing Composite Rubber Tracks for defence platforms. www.soucy-defense.com
About Supacat
Supacat is the world’s leading specialist in the design and development of high mobility defence vehicles with over 1000 specialist, battle-proven vehicles delivered into service globally. Part of SC Group, it is an innovative engineering and design company providing global, defence focussed products and services with offices in the UK and Australia. Its agility and speed enable Supacat to provide and fully support high performance solutions in short timescales. The UK Ministry of Defence’s procurement of Jackal and Coyote vehicles demonstrates the regard in which Supacat’s capabilities and products are held. www.supacat.com