Cummins Asia Pacific Magazine - Issue 1 2023

No combat fatigue
for Cummins V903
A prominent engine in the Australian trucking industry 40 years ago, Cummins’ V903 never
made it to the scrapyard, instead becoming an acclaimed engine in combat vehicles.
The 14.8-litre (903 cu.in.) V8, which has
powered the US Army’s iconic Bradley
Fighting Vehicle since the early 1980s,
was centre stage for Cummins at the 2022
Land Forces exposition in Brisbane.
In actual operations, the VTA903-powered
Bradley has showed a combat readiness
of over 95%, the highest combat readiness
of any armored vehicle in the history of the
US Army.
The big news out of the US is that a new
peak rating, in excess of 750 hp, is being
developed for the 903, which has been
available in recent years with a maximum
675 hp for combat vehicles – a far cry
from the days when the V8 Cummins
was rated at 280, 300, 320 or 350 hp for
heavy-duty trucks.
Confirming the drive by Cummins for
greater involvement in the defence industry
in the Asia Pacific region, Sam Jones,
manager of defence business for Cummins
Asia Pacific, points out that the 903 is a
prime candidate for heavy combat vehicle
applications where high power-to-weight
ratio and compactness due to limited
installation space are key criteria.
“The 903 is a vastly different engine today
than the 14.8-litre unit that powered
heavy-duty trucks in the 70s and 80s,”
he says. “As a high horsepower combat
engine, it has an unmatched reputation
for reliability and durability, using
technologies developed by Cummins for
its commercial products.”
One of the most enduring engines
in Cummins’ long history, the V903
celebrated a remarkable 50 years in
service in 2017. The first V903 crankshaft
was laid at the Cummins Engine Plant in
Columbus, Indiana, in the fourth quarter
of 1967, and the engine soon became
prominent in trucking, marine and
agricultural applications.
The 675 hp VTA903 today powers the
Bradley ECP2, Paladin howitzer and
Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)
which replaces the M113 armored
personnel carrier.
V903 featured at 2022 Land
Forces Exposition in Brisbane.
Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
38 | CUMMINS ASIA PACIFIC MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2023