“SilentHawk” Military Bike In Works

The use of motorcycles by the military dates back to the beginning of motorcycles, and now testing is in progress for a silent motorcycle that could be used for reconnaissance.

Dubbed the “SilentHawk” and modified by Logos Technologies of Fairfax, VA,  the model is an adaptation of the RedShift MX electric model produced by California’s Alta Motors (formerly BRD).

“When fully matured, SilentHawk would allow small, distributed military teams to move long distances quickly and stealthily across harsh enemy terrain,” said Logos Technologies in a press release this week.

“The prototype would combine Alta’s existing RedShift MX electric motocross bike with Logos Technologies’ proven quiet, multi-fueled hybrid-electric power system, developed for a separate unmanned aerial vehicle program.”

News of the stealthy bike was a released after Logos Technologies received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to continue the bike’s development. Phase I of the project began in February 2014 with Logos Technologies and Alta Motors testing the RedShift MX in multiple terrains and riding conditions.

“Quiet, all-wheel drive capability at extended range in a lightweight, rugged, single-track vehicle would support the successful operations in extreme terrain conditions and contested environments,” said Wade Pulliam, manager of advanced concepts for Logos Technologies. “This award enables us to continue to execute a fast-paced development effort that takes advantage of our team’s prior work, superior technical approach, and extensive experience.”

Under normal conditions, the SilentHawk’s hybrid engine could reportedly run on diesel, gas or jet fuel, but when operating near the enemy, it could run nearly silently on electric power.

“An innovative design approach, including a unique field-swappable power system concept, will allow unprecedented customizability of the bike while still meeting and exceeding the government’s challenging requirements,” added Pulliam. “We also believe that the system resulting from this second phase of the program would have applicability to other ground vehicle systems beyond motorcycles.”