A division of Hendrick Motorsports, Hendrick Dynamics continue to develop their hand cart, known as Silent Tactical Energy Enhanced Dismount (STEED), for the United States military.
Hendrick is a team born from championship racing competition that currently offers an innovative solution to lighten the load for dismounted troops, enhancing close combat lethality.
Troop overburden is a well-documented issue with direct consequences on small unit dominance.
The company’s website said the STEED significantly enhances human performance during dismounted operations. Maximizing small unit dominance through reduced troop overburden, warfighter offloading, lethal payload transport, and more rapid personnel recovery.
Powered STEED cart delivers an innovative solution to existing capability gaps identified by the Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command.
STEED powers through difficult terrain; over rocks, zero radius turns, through wetlands, submerged in water, even climbing stairwells. Versatile load deck and low center of gravity allow for a wide variety of payloads, affording leaders more options in mission planning for decisive action.
Small tactical unit dominance:
- increased load capacity,
- reduced fatigue and stress,
- longer endurance and range,
- heavier weapons → lethality,
- expanded PPE → survivability,
- improved self-sustainment,
- subterranean mobility,
- rapid casualty evacuation,
- carry robotics,
- silent last mile.
The new hand cart reduces injury and improves endurance by lightening the load.
Field evaluations demonstrate marked reductions in heart rate and energy expenditure with use of STEED. Data comparisons show operators can move 4x more payload or moves twice its own weight across 20 miles, with less stress and fatigue versus man-pack carriage.
