Determination the ability of military vehicles to override vegetation

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Determination the ability of military vehicles to override vegetation

Rybansky, Marian

Highlights • Forests represent an important terrain obstacle for military vehicles. • Mathematical and physical calculations of the ability of vehicles to overcome trees. • Extensive terrain tests of the ability of terrain vehicles to overcome forest stands. • About 10 vehicle types and hundreds of trees have been tested. • Comparison of mathematical calculations, field tests and expert estimates.

Abstract Military operations usually include movement over existing roads and also through natural terrain. Wooded terrain is one of the most challenging environments which affect vehicle mobility. The ability of a vehicle to cross a forest area depends on the possibility of determining if the vehicle is able to manoeuvre between tree stems or can override individual trees. Overriding tree obstacles can be more effective if a vehicle needs a shorter time to cross some tree stems rather than manoeuvring around them. Vehicle movement to cross a forest stand depends on vegetation factors as the stem diameter, stem spacing, and also on tree root parameters, which determine the mechanical tree stability, and a vehicle’s ability to override the trees. Also, the technical parameters (width, length, turning radius, weight, traction force) of the selected military vehicle are important to classify the cross-country movement options. This study describes both the theoretical predictions of the movement of vehicles in forest stands and summarizes the results of one of the most extensive testing of vehicles’ ability to cross individual trees.