IN Brief:
- Oshkosh Defense is working with Michigan Technological University to transition its Vehicle Integrated Power Kit towards a production-ready design for the FMTV A2.
- The kit is rated for up to 120 kW at 600 V DC and is designed to comply with the Tactical Microgrid Standard.
- Two prototypes are due for government and soldier evaluation, while another two will be built for further testing; no production quantity has been announced.
Oshkosh Defense and Michigan Technological University’s Advanced Power Systems Research Center (APS LABS) are preparing additional prototypes of a 120 kW electrical generation kit for tactical vehicles. The Vehicle Integrated Power Kit (VIPK) supplies up to 600 V direct current and is being developed for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles A2 (FMTV A2). The latest work involves government assessment, soldier evaluation and manufacturing documentation, not an order for serial production.
The programme focuses on integrating the kit into the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles A2 (FMTV A2), a platform for which Oshkosh is the original equipment manufacturer. Michigan Tech is supplying power systems research and integration work, while Oshkosh is contributing vehicle knowledge, production engineering and the processes needed to turn an experimental installation into a repeatable configuration. The partners describe the project as a technology transition programme, with future manufacturing decisions dependent on validation and design completion.
Rated output of 120 kW describes the kit’s maximum stated electrical power, not how long that power can be sustained or the total energy available. At 600 V direct current, switching and protection equipment must handle substantial current, while connected loads must operate within the supply’s voltage and power limits. Neither partner has released a load-response curve, sustained-output duration, conversion losses or a full mechanical description of the power generation arrangement. Such figures would be required before making claims about its endurance or fuel economy.
Defence customers are seeking power for vehicle-mounted counter-uncrewed aircraft systems, directed-energy equipment, missile defence components, temporary operating posts and field medical infrastructure. These uses differ widely in how much power they draw, whether the demand is continuous and how rapidly the load changes. An integrated kit consequently has to be assessed as part of the complete vehicle and equipment configuration; a headline power rating alone does not establish compatibility with every proposed payload.
According to Oshkosh and Michigan Tech, VIPK complies with the Tactical Microgrid Standard, which is intended to permit interoperability with other field power equipment. Compatible voltage and connection rules provide a starting point for integration, but several generators and loads operating on a common distribution system also require coordinated switching and fault protection. No independent certification document or completed interoperability test report accompanies the announcement, so compliance is reported as the partners’ statement rather than as a new qualification milestone.
Michigan Tech says its project has been extended under a US Army award made through the Defense Innovation Unit’s other transaction agreement mechanism. The university describes a 36-month effort intended to prepare an energy generation kit for the FMTV A2 for production. The October material does not disclose an overall contract price for the extension, nor does it establish that the Army has purchased a fleet-wide set of kits. The partnership and the research award should be distinguished from a future equipment procurement.
Two prototypes are now being completed and validated for government assessment and soldier evaluation. As those units move to a test location, APS LABS plans to construct a further two for continued testing and demonstrations. The engineers will also complete a Technical Data Package covering the controlled design and production information needed to reproduce the system. These four units are development equipment rather than evidence of a fleet-level acquisition.
The technical data package is an important part of that transition. A prototype can be adapted by the engineers who designed it, but a production installation requires controlled drawings, parts information, inspection requirements and test procedures that allow different teams to build equivalent equipment. The vehicle manufacturer also has to check how added hardware interacts with existing electrical systems, mounting structures and service access. Those processes determine whether the design is practical to maintain and reproduce at the quantities eventually requested.
Vehicle integration introduces loads beyond the kit’s electrical terminals. Mounting, cooling, cable routing, electromagnetic compatibility, vibration and maintenance access all need to be considered alongside the vehicle’s original equipment. Changes to electrical generation and distribution can also affect the installation of the supported payload. The partners have disclosed no completed qualification outcomes, added vehicle mass, payload-space effect or measured fuel consumption, leaving those engineering questions for the evaluation programme.
Oshkosh’s role as FMTV A2 manufacturer provides a route for considering power equipment alongside vehicle configuration and factory processes. Earlier FMTV A2 orders demonstrate that the platform has an existing production and support base, but they do not constitute orders for the VIPK. Likewise, the availability of a common vehicle family does not guarantee that every variant would receive an identical kit without additional engineering work.
The next identifiable milestones are the two government-evaluation prototypes, the additional test units and completion of a controlled production design. Michigan Tech describes the work as part of a 36-month Army-backed effort, while Oshkosh is contributing FMTV A2 engineering and manufacturing expertise. A decision to purchase production kits, any fleet installation quantity and a fielding schedule have not been announced.
