SOFRAME unveils its MOSAIC project

SOFRAME, subsidiary of the Alsace-based LOHR group, which specialises in protected vehicles operated by armed forces and security units, has unveiled its MOSAIC project.

MOSAIC is a platform designed to meet the requirements for light reconnaissance and support vehicles for combat units.

MOSAIC, whose acronym (Mission Observation Surveillance Acquisition Investigation Combat) reflects the multi-purpose nature of this type of vehicle, is a protected mobility solution whose open architecture lends itself to numerous variations. MOSAIC notably meets the expected capabilities of the future French army Véhicule Blindé d’Aide à l’Engagement, or VBAE, (Armoured Engagement Support Vehicle) programme in three main configurations:

• the reconnaissance and intelligence gathering vehicle,
• the direct fire vehicle,
• and the transport vehicle for the Medium Range Missile (MMP) team.

Designed with a view to a return to symmetrical high-intensity type engagements, MOSAIC has been the subject of major innovations in the field of ballistic protection. The platform’s bio-inspired architecture uses flue pipes to channel the blast of explosions, a patented principle. The armoured body uses solutions combining very high hardness steels (HHS) and high-performance non-metallic materials that provide the crew and sensitive systems with the level of protection expected for a forward combat vehicle.

MOSAIC also innovates in the field of high mobility.The drive train has been designed to accommodate without modification the components of a full electric hybrid that will give the vehicle the ability to drive silently for stealth reconnaissance missions. The electric machine, a derivative and militarised version of the technologies mastered by the LOHR Group in the field of low CO2 emission public transport systems, also provides power generation for the weapon system and can add its torque to that of the engine to generate instantaneous acceleration, a guarantee of survival in certain combat situations. The electric propulsion mode is also very easy to control for operational robotics applications in which a MOSAIC vehicle can be remotely operated without crew.