Phantom Works develops versatile combat support vehicle for the V-22 By Garrett Kasper and photos by Sally Aristei Uneven, rocky terrain is no match for its knobby 35-inch (90-centimeter) tires. Muddy, fender-deep creek water and roller-coaster-sized hills are no challenge for its 240-horsepower multi-fuel engine and four-wheel drive. It can roll over a pile of logs thicker than telephone poles, even with 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms) of payload strapped to its back. With all-wheel steering, it can pivot with ease and still reach 80 mph (130 kilometers per hour) on the open road. Phantom Badger—a combat support vehicle designed to be transported in a V-22 Osprey—is Boeing’s answer to a perplexing problem for today’s U.S. Special Forces: how to quickly deploy from a tilt-rotor aircraft a tough, versatile combat vehicle that can adapt to any environment and meet the most challenging combat missions. To rapidly develop the prototype, Boeing teamed with a company that has historically built race cars. “Phantom Badger is not an ATV all-terrain vehicle on steroids,” said John Chicoli, Boeing program manager for the V-22 Internally Transportable Vehicle program. “It addresses a gap for a vehicle that can be internally transported in a V-22, but it also allows increased payload and speed while providing more ride comfort than a smaller ATV.” Developed by the Special Pursuits Cell at Boeing Phantom Works, the Phantom Badger is Boeing’s response to a U.S. Special Operations Command operational requirement “every single element on Phantom Badger was aded or removed based on specific input of actual special operat ors.” — John Chicoli, Boeing program manager for the V-22 Internally Transportable Vehicle program PHOTOS: (Left) Lead mechanic Wyatt Montgomery (passenger) and design engineer Andrew Wizorek, from Boeing project partner MSI Defense Solutions, donned combat fatigues to make Phantom Badger vehicle durability, compatibility and comfort testing more authentic. (Above) Phantom Badger can exit a V-22 Osprey within seconds—a critical design requirement for special operations. BEIO NG FRONTEIRS / SEPTEMBER 2013 17
Frontiers September 2013 Issue
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