TRaC Global ready to meet Future Force 2020 equipment qualification requirements

Technology will have a significant bearing on the MOD’s capability in making the British Army sustainable, capable and adaptable. As part of the Future Force 2020 plans, it will be vital that all defence equipment is proven to an increasingly demanding level of survivability, reliability and interference-free functionality in the electromagnetic, climatic and mechanical conditions encountered in the defence environment.

At its UKAS accredited, EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) and Environmental test centres of excellence for Aerospace and Defence, TRaC Global identifies which range of tests equipment must pass to confidently meet these demands, ensuring defence equipment meets the increasingly stringent qualification requirements.

TRaC has built a trusted industry reputation through working with prime contractors and sub-system suppliers of defence equipment, across the Land, Sea and Air domains.

As part of its EMC testing and certification, TRaC Global has the ability to test equipment over a wide range of emissions and immunity requirements to commercial, industrial and military standards. For environmental qualification, TRaC has a range of climatic chambers to replicate the operational, storage and transportation environments, and a range of electrodynamic shakers, which simulate a breadth of vibration and shock signatures from tracked vehicle to rotary wing aircrafts. This is coupled with a team of stress analysis consultants to model and predict equipment’s mechanical behaviour and fatigue life through computer simulation.

TRaC’s test capabilities cover Environmental and EMC defence standards (MIL STD 461 and 810, DEF STAN 00-35, 59-411 and 61-5) as well as Aerospace EMC (RTCA-DO160 etc) and CE marking of military equipment (EN 55022, EN 55024, EN 61326 etc). The leading testing and certification group also draws on its experience with various prime contractor requirements including Airbus-specific test standards.

Embracing DSEI’s theme of how to better support and sustain current and future equipment, experts from the leading testing and certification group will be on hand offering advice on testing and certification of defence equipment.

Mark Heaven, CEO at TRaC Global explains: “Innovative testing and analysis will play a key part in how the defence industry tackles the issues affecting equipment support and sustainment; ensuring equipment has the capabilities to meet the requirements of the new roles and different demands in the return to contingency. The ability, for example, of military vehicles to withstand a change of environment within which it has to operate, be stored or transported, will be critical to the success of the transition process.”

The group’s Environmental qualification experts will also be available to discuss TRaC Global”s Early Stage Qualification (ESQ) services. ESQ engages clients early on in a project to provide strategic guidance, from initial concept and throughout the whole development cycle, focusing on the best approach to bring products to market quickly and successfully.

Heaven concludes: “Accustomed to working to tight deadlines, TRaC Global helps companies reduce unnecessary costs associated with duplication of testing and assessment, forming a clear basis for risk management and helping to meet stringent qualification requirements for defence equipment not only here in the UK, but also for the marketing and use of products internationally.”