ST. LOUIS -- The Boeing Company and partner MillenWorks of Tustin, Calif., will participate this week in a 1,000-mile off-road race through the Nevada desert, using a derivative of a tactical military vehicle designed for U.S. special operations forces.

The Aug. 20-22 "Vegas to Reno: The Long Way" race is sponsored by the Best in the Desert Racing Association and is touted by the event’s organizers as the longest off-road race in the United States. The Boeing and MillenWorks Team’s vehicle is entered in a timed exhibition category but will be driven by MillenWorks founder and CEO Rod Millen and his son, Ryan, over the same course as other off-road competitors.

The vehicle is a derivative of the Helo Transportable Tactical Vehicle (HTTV), which MillenWorks designed for military reconnaissance and utility missions in demanding conditions and terrain. The vehicle, which can be transported by aircraft including the Boeing-built V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, is currently undergoing evaluation and testing.

"We’re confident that our team's vehicle has the speed, maneuverability and durability needed to endure in this challenging and unforgiving desert terrain," said Jerry McElwee, vice president of Tactical Wheeled Vehicles for Boeing Combat Systems. "We are excited to have this opportunity to demonstrate our vehicle’s capabilities and reliability in off-road conditions."

"The Vegas to Reno race attracts tremendous talent from the off-road racing community, and will be a true test of our vehicle's technology maturity and cross-country mobility," said Rod Millen. "We have a high-performance vehicle with a proven track record of extensive government testing and evaluation."

Boeing and MillenWorks are teamed on a variety of government contracting activities, using their combined experience in systems engineering, product development and rapid vehicle prototyping to bring best-value solutions to their customers. Boeing has more than 20 years of experience in integrating tactical wheeled vehicles, starting with its role as prime contractor for the Avenger air defense system, which is integrated on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. MillenWorks is an industry leader in advanced vehicle and mobility solutions for demanding applications, with expertise in designing military ground vehicles, as well as high-performance race vehicles for on- and off-road competitions.

MillenWorks is a privately owned small business based in Tustin, Calif. The company designs and develops vehicles and advanced mobility solutions for the U.S. armed forces, major automotive original equipment manufacturers and commercial customers.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

Sergyi Way
22.08.2009

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