Vehicle system would alert drivers to potential repair needs.

• Position: COMBAT VEHICLES

* With international defense budgets trending downward, many countries are opting to upgrade their combat vehicles rather than buying new, making it more important than ever to keep older models properly maintained.

Drivers and maintenance personnel will need up-to-date information about vehicle performance and be able to quickly determine how to repair them in case of a breakdown.

The Tweddle Group, a Clinton Township, Mich.--based company that specializes in automotive information technologies, debuted its connected intelligent vehicle management system at the Defence Security and Equipment International exhibition in London this September. The idea is to unite the driver, maintenance personnel and original equipment manufacturer through a smartphone or iPad, allowing each party to more easily share information.

Based on technology already available for the commercial vehicle industry, the system could monitor combat vehicle subsystems, predict technical problems and alert the driver to malfunctions, said company spokesman Chris Trippick.

More importantly, it would automatically load relevant portions of the vehicle's manual, instructions for repair or other guidance onto the driver's iPad or smartphone, he said. "It might say, 'This is not repairable, you've got to take this to...