OVIK (also trading as OVIK CROSSWAY) is a British company which designs and manufactures specialist and armoured vehicles and chassis systems.
Established in 2008, and based in Dorset, OVIK designs and develops specialist vehicles (and other equipment) for defence, security, emergency services and commercial customers. Since 2012 OVIK has been developing a new range of vehicles based upon its own CROSSWAY chassis systems (The CENTAUR-44 and the CENTAUR-66 chassis). All the vehicles based on this system also go by the brand name CROSSWAY. OVIK now only designs, manufactures and supplies specialist vehicles based on the CROSSWAY CENTAUR-44 & CENTAUR-66 chassis systems and under the CROSSWAY marque.
History
Formed by brothers Jez and Duncan Hermer in 2008, OVIK has been both a specialist vehicle manufacturer and an engineering consultancy offering support for the design, prototype and test of all manner of land-based and amphibious special vehicles. Historic products include the OVIK PANGOLIN Armoured Public Order Vehicle, the Cameleon IV440 Modular Mission Vehicle, the Armoured PHOENIX Land Rover and the MEERKAT Super Light Tracked Vehicle. OVIK was deeply involved in the transformation of the Singapore Technologies Kinetics Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier vehicle into the UK MOD's WARTHOG vehicle, a vehicle developed as an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) for Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. Founding member Jez Hermer MBE, a former Royal Marines Major, was also the Royal Marines lead on development of the Hagglunds BvS10 VIKING vehicle for 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines
OVIK is based in Dorset, a county in the south of the United Kingdom - and is close to the British Army's Armour Centre at Bovington - the 'Heart of Armour' and the birthplace of the tank. The name OVIK is derived from the name of the Swedish town Ornskoldsvik often shortened to OVIK, a town Jez Hermer is associated with through his work with Hagglunds, a company headquartered in the town. Hermer drew on his association with Ornskoldsvik when he named the company in 2008.
Future
Whilst OVIK continues to produce a range of specialist, vehicle related equipment, it now concentrates primarily on development of specialist vehicle platforms based on the proven CROSSWAY CENTAUR-44 and CENTAUR-66 chassis and under the CROSSWAY marque.
OVIK CROSSWAY and CENTAUR Chassis
- CROSSWAY 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles. CROSSWAY represents a range of specialist armoured and non-armoured vehicles built on the CROSSWAY CENTAUR-44 and CENTAUR-66 chassis by OVIK. Following three years of in-house design and development which included multiple prototype builds, OVIK revealed the first production CROSSWAY to the general public in the Sunday Times Business Section in an article by Dominic Prince on 12/04/2015.
- OVIK first exhibited the prototype CROSSWAY at the Counter Terror Expo at London's Olympia in April 2013. Numerous iterations followed with the final production ready vehicle emerging in November 2014. Customers so far include the United Kingdom Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Thames Valley Police and Dorset Police. Overseas orders are now believed to be under way.
- CROSSWAY is a totally unique vehicle, the CENTAUR chassis system being designed and built in house by OVIK, along with axles, suspension and all body components. OVIK states that the vehicle is 100% British built - although the FORD engines are believed to be imported from South Africa.
- Current customers for CROSSWAY include the UK Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Dorset Police, Thames Valley Police,Kent Police and Essex Police.
- Other OVIK customers include the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Dorset Police, Devon and Cornwall Police, Avon and Somerset Police, Thames Valley Police, Kent and Essex Police, Merseyside Police, Bedfordshire Police, Hampshire Police, Hertfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Police and UK MOD.
- CENTAUR Chassis - A range of specialist, all terrain chassis and chassis cowls designed for on-wards or stage-2 development either by OVIK or available to other vehicle integrators at various stages of chassis build.
Other OVIK Products
- The PANGOLIN Armoured Public Order Vehicle, now in its third generation (batches 1 & 2 now followed by PANGOLIN Batch 3). There are currently 168 PANGOLINS in service with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Merseyside Police. PANGOLIN is based upon the Land Rover DEFENDER chassis and represents OVIK's final product based upon a chassis other than its own STRIVE Chassis system.
- OVIK MEERKAT Super Light Tracked Vehicle (SLTV). OVIK developed MEERKAT as a concept demonstrator and in order showcase OVIK's ability to upgrade and develop existing tracked vehicles. MEERKAT is based upon a CVR(T) SABRE hull - fully up-rated by OVIK with new suspension, final drives, David Brown TN15E+ transmission and CUMMINS 6.7 ISB engine. The original tank turret was removed, an enhanced armoured body added, the driver moved from under the front armour to a position inside the main hull and seated in a side-by-side configuration with the vehicle commander. MEERKAT is steered with an intuitive yet standard steering wheel - as opposed to the original tiller system. MEERKAT SLTV can be fitted with a range of weapons systems Via a removable, modular weapons cassette system, however the original was fitted with a Kongsberg PROTECTOR remote weapon station (RWS). MEERKAT has a top speed of 72 mph and can carry up to six troops in the armoured hull in addition to the two crew.
- OVIK Cameleon IV440 Modular Mission Vehicle is designed to offer end-users extreme vehicle flexibility. The rear bed de-mount system allows the operators to swap load configurations and vehicle bodies in less than two minutes thus creating a highly versatile vehicle platform. The CAMELEON system has been employed on IVECO Daily 4x4 and UNIMOG base chassis. OVIK has now developed a new version of the CAMELEON system for integration onto a variant of the CROSSWAY vehicle.
