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Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall and the U.S. industrials company Honeywell have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish strategic cooperation in various fields of technology. The two companies intend to cooperate on new visual systems and auxiliary power units for vehicles, among other things.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, said: “From auxiliary power units and visual devices to building automation, the list of potential areas of cooperation for our two companies is long. We are grateful to have gained Honeywell as a strategic partner given their long history of innovation and broad technological portfolio.”
Matt Milas, President of Defense and Space, Honeywell Aerospace, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Rheinmetall AG to bring our cutting-edge technology to support the missions of our allies across the world. New and existing programs will benefit from our joint development, production and sustainment efforts across an extensive list of global defense platforms.”
Together, the companies intend to develop new visual systems that leverage the existing capabilities of the Honeywell 360 Display, a driver vision system that includes a variety of thermal imaging and daylight cameras distributed around the vehicle. With the system, a pair of glasses mounted on a driver's helmet uses augmented and mixed reality technologies to deliver advanced levels of situational awareness and provide a 360-degree view – even without direct vision through windows or periscopes. The Honeywell 360 Display would provide an immense capability boost for existing fleets of tactical vehicles, such as the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, as well as for new builds of modern weapons systems.
Honeywell and Rheinmetall also intend to collaborate on auxiliary power units that are used in tactical wheeled and tracked vehicles when they are in a position and not moving under their own power. With auxiliary power units, the operating time and operational readiness of a turret system can be significantly increased while still maintaining a low thermal and acoustic signature. Auxiliary power units are a supplement to battery storage and can also be of great interest for stationary tasks, including in the protection of critical infrastructure or properties.
The planned strategic cooperation also aims to explore other areas of collaboration between the two companies, including localized maintenance and support for other Honeywell products installed on strategic platforms utilized by the Bundeswehr.
By leveraging their collective resources, Rheinmetall and Honeywell intend to pursue joint approaches in the field of industrial high-energy applications, specifically in building automation (e.g. air conditioning and ventilation, lighting, access control) and overarching thermal management. The companies will explore how a compact solution consisting of a high-performance battery coupled with an auxiliary power unit and a cooling system could supply the necessary electrical primary energy, including the dissipation of heat, for future weapon systems.
Rheinmetall and Honeywell are also in talks about closer cooperation with regard to capabilities in the areas of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (cUAS) and electronic warfare. As the cooperation progresses, the implementation of the individual measures will be specified in the coming weeks and months.
