The
United States Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) (formerly United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC)
), located in
Warren, Michigan, is the
United States Armed Forces' research and development facility for advanced technology in ground systems. It is part of the
U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), a major subordinate command of the
U.S. Army Futures Command
The United States Army Futures Command (AFC) is a United States Army command, designed as a public-private initiative, that runs modernization projects for the Army. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and was first commanded by General John M ...
. GVSC shares its facilities with the
United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). Current technology focus areas include Ground Vehicle Power and Mobility (GVPM), Ground System
Survivability and
Force Protection, among others.
Laboratories
It features a number of research laboratories, including:
* Laser Protection Laboratory
* Crew Station Systems Integration Laboratory
* Robotic Systems Integration Laboratory
* Ground Vehicle Simulation Laboratory — ride motion simulator, pintle motion based simulator, crew station/turret motion based simulator and several vehicle "shaker" facilities
* High Performance Computing Laboratory — supports virtual prototyping and design development of combat vehicles and improves virtual reality capabilities
* Next Generation Software Laboratory
* Water Laboratory
* Petroleum Laboratory — researches properties and durability of a wide range of fuel including JP-8, Diesel,
hydraulic fluid
A hydraulic fluid or hydraulic liquid is the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. Common hydraulic fluids are based on mineral oil or water. Examples of equipment that might use hydraulic fluids are excavators and backhoe ...
s and lubricants
* Bridging Simulation Laboratory — Located at Selfridge Air National Guard base, this facility features computer-controlled load test areas with automated data acquisition capability for structural testing of bridging systems. Laboratory capabilities include static and dynamic structural load application for structural and
fatigue testing.
* Propulsion Test Laboratory
* Physical and
Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data.
Construction of the part or assembly is usually done using 3D printin ...
Laboratory
* Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Center — researches a variety of alternative vehicle structural materials, including
composite materials
* Center for Systems Integration (CSI)
* Advanced joining research facility (fusion & friction stir welding, adhesives and mechanical fasteners)
* Vehicle Protection Integration Laboratory (VPIL)
* Ground System Power and Energy Laboratory (GSPEL) ''(opened April 2012)''
*
Power and Energy Vehicle Environment Laboratory (PEVEL)*
Fuel Cell Research Laboratory*
Energy Storage Laboratory*
Air Filtration Laboratory*
Electric Components Laboratory*
Power Laboratory*
Thermal Management Laboratory*
Calorimeter Laboratory*
Robotic Power and Energy Vehicle Environmental Laboratory (Opened 2021)
Relationship with Industry
U.S. Army GVSC maintains collaborative partnerships with a spectrum of defense and automotive industry entities with the purpose of co-developing key ground vehicle technologies while leveraging industry technology advancements and economy-of-scale. These relationships are formalized through one of a variety of mechanisms, including formal contracts, Other Transaction Agreements, and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, among others. Occasionally these relationships extend to non-industry entities also, as with the
Michigan Department of Transportation and various academic institutions.
Next Generation Combat Vehicle
U.S. Army GVSC is the lead Science and Technology (S&T) Center for the
Next Generation Combat Vehicle
The Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) is a United States Army program intended to procure a variety of armored vehicles to add new capabilities to Army units and replace existing platforms that are nearing the end of their service life. The pro ...
(NGCV). As such, it investigates the technologies and develops the capabilities supporting the NGCV requirements. The NGCV is one of the U.S. Army's six modernization priorities.
Robotic Vehicles
U.S. Army GVSC is the Department of Defense's lead agency for automated, driver-optional, and driver-assist technology development for ground vehicles. Developed within its Ground Vehicle Robotics portfolio, these technologies apply through the common, open-source Robotics Operating System-Military to tactical and combat vehicle platforms and applications.
Automated Ground Resupply
GVSC furthers the development of autonomous driving in resupply activities through its Automated Ground Resupply (AGR) program. The keystone project in this program is its AMAS, or Automated Mobility Applique System, an applique kit that enables automated, driver-optional, and driver-assist behaviors to current Army vehicle platforms. This technology is intended to manifest as "leader-follower" or "platooning" of line-haul resupply vehicles in which a lead vehicle is manually driven, remotely-driven, or driven autonomously through waypoint navigation and the follower vehicles in a convoy are fed driving instructions from the lead vehicle.
Automated Convoy Testing on Interstate Highways
In 2016, and again in 2017, U.S. Army GVSC with the Michigan Department of Transportation conducted tests and demonstrations of its leader-follower technology on
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...
and across the
Blue Water Bridge in Eastern Michigan. The tests, intended to exercise the Dedicated Short Range Communications radios installed both in the vehicles and along the roadways, demonstrated the effectiveness of
Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications along the interstate. Further tests are expected in conjunction with the
American Center for Mobility in
Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Fuel Cell Electric vehicles
Through a cooperative partnership with
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
, U.S. Army GVSC characterized and demonstrated the unique fuel cell-equipped
Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 in 2017–2018, highlighting the center's pursuit and development of technologies that are nearing a level of readiness applicable to the military.
U.S. Army GVSC indicates the technology may provide silent vehicle mobility, power generation, enhanced low-end torque, a reduction in the vehicle's thermal signature, and a broader flexibility for fuel sources. Jointly unveiled by General Motors and U.S. Army GVSC at the 2016 annual meeting of the
Association of the United States Army, the vehicle's demonstrations completed in 2018 and follow-on projects are anticipated.
Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator
U.S. Army GVSC designs vehicles and vehicle components that integrate a wide variety of technologies to demonstrate the state-of-the-art in fuel efficient vehicle design.

The FED's objectives include:
*Identifying and assessing technologies that support increasing fuel efficiency and reducing fuel consumption for light tactical vehicles.
*Developing and assessing fuel efficient tactical vehicle concepts that compare favorably and achieve the same operational capabilities of a HMMWV.
*Developing, fabricating, and testing two system-level demonstrators that incorporate fuel-efficient technologies. The two demonstrator vehicles are named "Alpha" and "Bravo".
*Training the next generation of government engineers in fuel efficiency processes and tools.
FED "Alpha" fabrication was completed in October 2010. FED Alpha is powered by a super/turbocharged 200 horsepower 4.5-litre inline 4-cylinder Diesel engine optimized for fuel efficiency. Alpha also includes other fuel-saving subsystems, such as an integrated starter generator, lightweight hull, low rolling resistance tires, driver feedback systems, solar panels, low-drag brakes, superfinishing of driveline components, and other technologies.
FED "Bravo" detailed design phase was completed and was to begin fabrication in . Bravo was to have a road-coupled parallel hybrid powertrain.
See also
*
Humvee
*
Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition
*
Lawrence Technological University
Lawrence Technological University (LTU) (Lawrence Tech) is a private university in Southfield, Michigan. It was founded in 1932 in Highland Park, Michigan, as the Lawrence Institute of Technology (LIT) by Russell E. Lawrence. The university move ...
*
List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
The following is a (partial) listing of vehicle model numbers or M-numbers assigned by the United States Army. Some of these designations are also used by other agencies, services, and nationalities, although these various end users usually assig ...
*
Medium Mine Protected Vehicle
*
MillenWorks Light Utility Vehicle
The MillenWorks Light Utility Vehicle (LUV) is a prototype testbed for automotive technologies. It was designed and built by MillenWorks under contract to the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center. Textron Marine and Land ...
*
Multi Autonomous Ground-robotic International Challenge
*
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...
*
Plug-in vehicle
A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any motor vehicle, road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its electric vehicle battery, onboard ...
*
United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command
References
Notes
Sources
govinfo.library.unt.edu
{{Authority control
CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center
CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center
Military simulation
Hybrid electric vehicles
Buildings and structures in Macomb County, Michigan
Warren, Michigan