Tessiot mobile ground target

[Grey Havoc]

A late 1990's French government sponsored project for a "Ground Target For Simulating The Heat Silhouette Of A Vehicle Such As A Tank". Intended for both peacetime use as a training (including live fire) target and as a wartime mobile decoy system. Was what would be known today as 'optionally manned', with the vehicle either under the control of a human driver in a protected cockpit (cab) in it's centre (under the simulated turret area) or else autonomous, under the guidance of a onboard command and control system utilizing PC components, also located in the control station cab. The cab had A/C and ground access. Manual driving controls were similar to an automobile's. The drive element (in it's primary version, an internal combustion engine, but there were also plans for an 'electric engine') was also located under the 'turret' area. The vehicle was primarily wheeled, but could simulate tracked vehicles in a number of ways, including, in one version, attaching independently powered tracked trailers to it's sides.

A number of prototypes appear to have been constructed, but I haven't come across anything yet on any series production. Further details on the system here.