Fischer Panda UK Secures Major Defence Contract

DSEI Show 12-15 September 2023 Excel, London

Fischer Panda’s largest contract win worth over £10million to fit British Army Fighting Vehicles with Military Specification Fischer Panda Generators

Fischer Panda UK has secured a major contract with a global aerospace and defence company to equip the latest commission of AJAX military fighting vehicles with ultra quiet generator systems. This is one of the highest value contracts that Fischer Panda UK has secured, worth over £10million.

The British Army’s future, advanced armoured fleet of AJAX vehicles will be fitted with Panda AGT 8000 PVM-NE 24v (28v) generators. These units have been developed and built to meet the military standards and specification required for this project utilising variable speed DC generators that have the ability to operate in extreme temperature ranges between -46°C to +50°C.

Fischer Panda UK entered a joint development phase to produce an APU that would fit within the already specified space whilst also meeting very low running noise requirements. Fischer Panda UK was approached due to its reputation for manufacturing extremely quiet, reliable generator systems. The systems specialist also had a proven track record for designing and installing robust and reliable systems for the MOD having previously worked on military projects that are still in operation today.

The development phase for the units took several years and the project had to overcome supply chain challenges due to the pandemic. Developing a new generator to production standard in such a short time is testament to Fischer Panda UK’s production factory’s advanced expertise. In total, four prototypes were built with minor adjustments and improvements made to each one until a production standard was reached. The AJAX vehicle itself is currently in the Demonstration and Manufacture phase following successful Noise and Vibration trials which took place in autumn 2022.

Barry Fower, Managing Director at Fischer Panda UK, said: “This contract is the largest single contract that Fischer Panda UK has ever secured. We are proud to be chosen to provide the generator system to the new British Army fighting vehicles, bringing a whole new level of capability to the Army. The fully digitalised platform will provide better protection for our soldiers whilst allowing them to make better decisions due to having better, quicker information on the battlefield.”

The variable speed aspect of the system ensures that it is always running at its most efficient speed as this is controlled by the load, this provides the highest level of efficiency possible leading to lower fuel consumption and longer engine life.

The replacement APU has allowed the whole project to move forward and the stringent requirements in all aspects of noise and performance has resulted in Fischer Panda UK delivering an extremely quiet DC battery charging generator. Testing is ongoing with regards to integration with the vehicle’s control systems but this is not expected to raise any issues.

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