SAPA had a prominent presence at the recent AUSA (Association of the United States Army) 2018 fair, held from October 8 to 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
At its stand, SAPA Transmission Inc., part of the SAPA Group, showcased several significant new developments, starting with the ACT 850 transmission for tracked vehicles, an evolution of the SG850 used by the Pizarro infantry and cavalry fighting vehicles in phase II. This transmission is currently undergoing testing at BAE Systems’ facilities in Sterling Heights, Michigan, installed in a Bradley infantry and cavalry fighting vehicle and an M109 A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, both belonging to the U.S. Army. Once these tests are completed, further testing will be conducted at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, with TACOM (Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command) having already acquired six units.
Another highlight was the ACT 1000 transmission for tracked vehicles, which is being evaluated as part of the development program for TARDEC (Tank Automotive Research Development & Engineering Center) under the APD (Advanced Powertrain Demonstrator) program. This transmission is designed to work with a 1,000 hp engine mounted in a 50-ton vehicle.
The company also displayed two well-known components of the Powerpack for the 8×8 Wheeled Combat Vehicle (VCR) of the Spanish Army, namely the SW624 transmission for wheeled vehicles and the 75 kW electric machine, systems whose operation on the VCR we have analyzed on multiple occasions.
Institutional Visits
SAPA is involved in several research programs within the U.S. Army, focused on next-generation transmissions being evaluated for adoption in new combat vehicles. Consequently, the company received significant visits during the event, including four-star General McConville, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army; Lieutenant General Richardson, Deputy Commander of Army Futures Command (the organization responsible for the Army’s modernization projects, including future generation vehicles); Dr. Bruce Jette, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology; Jeffrey White, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary; Lieutenant General Ostrowski, Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary; and Anne Cataldo, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation. Brigadier General Cummings, Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems; Colonel Fuller, Program Manager for Armored Fighting Vehicles (Bradley, Paladin, and Next Generation Bradley); Colonel Milner, Program Manager for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPV); and Dr. Rogers, Director of TARDEC, also visited the stand.
Representing Spain, Defense Attaché in Washington General Armisen, Colonel Martínez Mompeán, Financial Attaché and representative of the Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM), along with representatives from the Navy and Air Force attended the event. From the Commercial Office, Elisa García Grande, Head of the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in the United States and International Financial Institutions; Christian Garma, Economic and Commercial Counselor; Ángeles Bosch, Deputy Director General of Tariff Policy and Trade Defense Instruments; and Ana Domínguez Velasco, Commercial Attaché, were also present.
