This five-day course provides a fundamental understanding of the engineering principles and design considerations underpinning the development of modern armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), from protection and mobility to weapons, power, and crew integration.

The course explores the engineering design of key subsystems such as armour, propulsion, suspension, weapons, and electronic systems, and how their integration determines the overall capability, performance, and survivability of a fighting-vehicle platform. Participants will examine the Participants will examine the core engineering domains that underpin AFV design, including armour and structural materials, terminal ballistics, propulsion and transmission systems, suspension and terramechanics, power management, and vehicle protection technologies. Practical design studies and a packaging exercise reinforce the design trade-offs between protection, mobility, firepower, and crew ergonomics - enabling participants to develop a holistic understanding of how engineering decisions shape a combat vehicle’s operational effectiveness. To further strengthen the link between theory and practice, the course incorporates guided walk-around discussions of representative armoured fighting vehicles and a laboratory demonstration using a four-post test-rig to investigate vehicle ride dynamics and suspension performance.

At a glance

  • Dates
    • 02 - 06 Feb 2026
  • Duration5 days
  • LocationÃå±±ÂÖ¼é at Shrivenham
  • Cost£2,250

Course structure

A 5 day course covering lectures and demonstrations in front of the equipment (Challenger 2, BMPs, T72, Warrior, etc) in the Defence Capability Centre. Computer exercise/practical sessions to further consolidate the understanding of main design drivers and constraints of fighting vehicles.

What you will learn

On successful completion you will be able to:

  1. Recognise and identify the key design and development features of armoured fighting vehicles.
  2. Formulate the interrelationships and trade-offs between the wide-ranging vehicle system technologies involved.
  3. Demonstrate an informed understanding of the technological possibilities and constraints influencing future vehicle concepts.
  4. Contextualise their technical expertise within the broader vehicle design and development process to enhance their contribution to future AFV programmes.

Core content

  • AFV design principles and capability trade-offs,
  • Armour design, materials, and ballistic protection,
  • Attack mechanisms: kinetic energy, shaped charge, and IED effects,
  • Mine and blast protection strategies and structural design,
  • Mobility, terramechanics, and suspension systems,
  • Propulsion, power requirements, and energy management,
  • Transmission and steering technologies,
  • Vehicle protection, defensive-aid and signature-reduction systems,
  • Radar, sensor, and surveillance system integration,
  • Vehicle systems integration and packaging exercise,
  • Human factors, ergonomics, and crew layout considerations,
  • Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) and condition assessment.

Who should attend

  • Test and evaluation engineers, design and development engineers, manufacturing and industrial engineers, specification engineers, physicists and mathematicians working in the fighting vehicle design, researchers and analysts new to the subject and intend working in the design and development of fighting vehicles
  • Military personnel, government civil servants, defence industry, acquisition and procurement staff from DoD
  • Graduates, who intend to take up a career in defence technology (DoD and industry).

Speakers

Location and travel

Cranfield Defence and Security (CDS) is based at the Ministry of Defence establishment on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire borders.

Shrivenham itself lies in the picturesque Vale of the White Horse, close to the M4 motorway which links London and South Wales. It is 7 miles from Swindon, the nearest town, which lies off the M4 at the hub of Britain’s motorway network.

Bath, Cheltenham, Bristol and Oxford are all within an hour’s drive and London less than two hours away by car.

All visitors must be pre-booked in at reception by the person they are visiting on the campus.

For further location and travel details

How to apply

To apply for this course please use the online application form.

Apply now

Read our Professional development (CPD) booking conditions.