Generic Vehicle Architecture

The Generic Vehicle Architecture approach is the approach taken by the UK MOD to the design of the electronic and power architectures for military vehicles. It also includes requirements for standardisation of the Human Machine interface. the main requirements for this approach are published in Defence Standard 23-09

For greater detail on the GVA approach and access to the GVA Data Model you need to register for access to the MOD GVA Site at www.gva.mod.uk

Land platforms are typically in-service for many years and are subject to significant updates through life. Recent experience has shown how there is a need to be able to update platforms quickly in order to address new threats and scenarios. The traditional approach to platform design with stand alone sub-systems results in stove piped upgrades with integration conflicts, a proliferation of crew controls and displays, power conflicts, lack of exploitation of data and lack of standardisation across the fleet with training and maintenance issues. All these issues lead to significantly higher cost of ownership through life.

The GVA approach is based on established Systems Engineering principles to define a generic architecture that requires open implementation standards to support cost effective integration of sub-systems on land platforms (electronically, electrically and physically). The Director Land Equipment (DLE) has mandated the application of the GVA Approach and the associated GVA Defence Standard 23-09 for all future land vehicle platform procurement, current vehicle platform refurbishment and upgrade programmes. GVA is an integral part of the Land Open System Architecture (LOSA) which aims to enable soldiers, vehicles, and bases to work better together thereby increasing operational effectiveness and reducing the systems of systems through life costs.

The origins of GVA lie in the MOD research programme. Initially there was SAVE (Systematic Approach to Vehicle Electronics), a 1980s UK Programme based on the concept of producing a series of standard electronic modules, connected by a standard digital data transmission system. The restrictions imposed by this approach inspired the VERDI (Vehicle Electronics Research Defence Initiative) Programme, a collaboration between the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) and Industry which demonstrated the possibilities offered by total systems integration and which yielded crucial information for the subsequent definition phase of this work. Following on from VERDI, the UK MoD initiated the VESTA (Vehicle Standards Architecture) initiative in the mid - 1990s, chaired by DERA, to identify standards suitable for systems integration. The VESTA outputs provided a firm foundation for the follow on work undertaken by the VSI Programme.

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