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The Pentagon is Working On Hybrid Motorcycle For Special Forces

Looks like that French company isn’t the only one planning to make a hybrid motorcycle; the Pentagon is currently working on a motorcycle for its special troops and its called the SilentHawk.
SilentHawk prototype 1 photo
Photo: Logos Technologies
According to its developer, Logos Technologies, the SilentHawk is a prototype hybrid-electric, all-terrain motorcycle designed for quiet, tactical insertion. In simple terms, the special forces need a small, silent vehicle capable to carry two people and their equipment in any terrain to surprise and catch/kill the bad guys.

Why did they go with a motorcycle? Simply because conventional transport vehicles have trouble negotiating extreme terrain and also suck at airdrop delivery. The SilentHawk, on the other hand, is small and narrow, making it perfect for thick forests, narrow mountain paths or rocky landscapes.

As said before, the bike uses a hybrid powertrain along with a 5.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The combustion engine can be fed with anything from standard gasoline to propane, AVGAS, and even jet fuel.

This way, the bike can run for up to 170 miles without refueling, including two hours in electric mode on a single charge. It can also reach a top speed of 80 mph and weighs 350 lbs.

"Because they're motorcycles and they're relatively small, you can put several of these in the back of a V-22 and they could be dropped off somewhere," said Doug Rombough, VP of Business Development for Logos Technologies. "They could go 50 miles, and when they get within 10 miles of an objective, they could shut off that multi-fuel engine, and go all-electric—the only noise [they] will produce at that point will be the noise of the tires on the surface and or the chain of the motorcycle."

Another interesting feature is its all-wheel-drive system for better traction in rough terrain. However, the developers aren’t ready to give the bike green light to enter production. They say it needs to be lighter and fancy the idea of ditching liquid-cooled engine for an air-cooled one.
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