Future ADF vehicle acquisitions include smaller, lightweight vehicles for which the challenge of minimising the weight of the vehicle while meeting structural performance, protection levels and endurance requirements is critical.
Through DMTC, industry partner Thales Australia is working with research partners from the University of Melbourne (UoM), DST Group and ANSTO to develop a systems-level simulation capability that can be applied to the design and service life evaluation of military land vehicles.
Building on previous DMTC research and materials characterisation work, the project team is working to increase the fidelity of modelling; and develop a better understanding on the behaviour of vehicles, namely the structural and kinematic responses, to blast wave and impact events.
One of the objectives of the project is to develop material and numerical models to capture shock wave impacts through soil and air, in line with international standards. To date, soil blast and steel pot blast tests have been successfully undertaken, and a numerical model has been developed and validated based on experimental inputs.
On completion, vehicle and environmental models developed will be shared with industry partners and to Defence stakeholders as requested. The models will inform the development of upgraded components for mid-life upgrades of existing platforms, and future platform designs.