U.S. Army going hybrid

London-based BAE Systems (LSE: BA) said today that it demonstrated the first hybrid electric drive system for ground combat vehicles as part of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems program.

BAE, responsible for the iconic Spitfire fighter plane in World War II, held the test today in Santa Clara, Calif.

The defense contractor said this is the first evaluation of the complete Manned Ground Vehicles system consisting of the engine, generator, generator dissipater controller, traction drive system, energy storage system, and cooling subsystem.

"Its advanced energy storage, electric traction drive, power generation, regenerative braking, and integrated power management technology all serve to provide our warfighter's increased performance and unprecedented flexibility," said Hugo Croft, VP of Future Combat Systems and Advanced Programs at BAE.

The first use of the hybrid electric drive technology will be in the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, slated to begin initial production in 2008, according to BAE.

The NLOS-C, designed and built by BAE, in partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems, is a fully automated, 155 millimeter self-propelled howitzer.

General Dynamics Land Systems is a unit of Virginia defense contractor General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

BAE said the hybrid electric drive system is a joint development with General Dynamics Land Systems in partnership with the Army and the FCS Lead Systems Integrator team of Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Science Applications International (NYSE: SAI).

The test took place at the Power and Energy System Integration Lab, an $80 million science and technology initiative administered by the U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center.

The lab is managed by BAE and Science Applications.