FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Aug. 25, 2022 – BAE Systems’ Beowulf has won the U.S. Army’s competition for its Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program and the company has been awarded a $278 million contract for production units, spare parts and contractor logistics support.
The win further confirms BAE Systems as an industry leader in the design and production of military all-terrain vehicles for operations in rugged terrain and the harshest weather conditions. Beowulf is an unarmored, tracked, highly versatile vehicle for transporting people and a variety of cargo in either of its two compartments.
Beowulf can traverse snow, ice, rock, sand, mud, as well as swampy conditions and can operate in delicate mountain environments. Its amphibious characteristic also allows it to travel in flooded areas or coastal waters. This marks the first sale of the Beowulf, which is based on its armored variant BvS10, in service with several European nations. As the focus on Arctic Mobility operations grows, we see increasing opportunities in other markets for the BvS10 and Beowulf with an emerging demand to replace legacy BV206s.
“The Beowulf is a highly capable solution to meet the US Army’s requirement in Arctic operations. We look forward to providing our soldiers operating in challenging terrain and environments with this highly capable vehicle,” said Mark Signorelli, vice president of business development, BAE Systems Platforms & Services.
“We have been maturing and modernizing cold weather capabilities across the terrain for decades, bringing advanced capabilities to the United States and several other countries. This contract means we will continue to do so for many years to come.”
Beowulf’s articulated mobility system is key to its effectiveness, providing optimal maneuverability on different surfaces. Its modular design can be reconfigured for multiple missions, such as logistical support, disaster and humanitarian relief, search and rescue and other missions as needed.
The large windows and spacious cabin make the Beowulf suitable for CATV program tasks, including search and rescue, defense support to civil authorities, and national defense. Its modern, commercial design ensures the soldiers’ operational effectiveness in carrying out a wide variety of difficult missions.
Beowulf successfully completed the prototype evaluation phase of the CATV program earlier this year in Alaska. The vehicle performed in multiple tasks while remaining fully mission capable.
The tests included amphibious operations, navigation in terrain with varying levels of complexity, initiation and operation in extreme cold weather, and most critically, user evaluation by soldiers. Beowulf is built by BAE Systems Hägglunds in northern Sweden, adding first-hand experience in operating in an Arctic environment.
The platform includes several key components from US suppliers, such as its engine, transmission, and hydraulics. The CATV program will replace the legacy fleet of Small Unit Support Vehicles (SUSVs), also built by BAE Systems Hägglunds, and known internationally as the BV206.
The BV206 has been in service globally, including with the US Armed Forces, since the early 1980s.
*** Translated by the DEFCONPress team ***