The US Army has awarded a contract for the development of a new army vehicle to Ricardo Incorporated, under the fuel-efficient ground vehicle demonstrator (FED) programme.

Under the contract, the company will develop and manufacture a demonstration vehicle that optimises fuel economy while maintaining capability and performance.

The FED programme was launched in 2008 by the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center to improve military vehicle technology and reduce fuel consumption on the battlefield.

The contract, awarded under the second phase of the FED programme, will improve on the initial phase, in which Ricardo applied its total vehicle fuel economy systems to evaluate current and emerging technologies that could improve the fuel efficiency of the entire vehicle.