Sphere Brake Defense, Inc. (SBD) has entered a new collaborative agreement with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to advance its patented bolt-on Sphere Brake Kit technology for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) program. The Erie, Pennsylvania-based defense technology company says the agreement supports a braking solution designed to improve reliability, reduce corrosion, and increase operational readiness for the ACV fleet. SBD designs the kit as a direct bolt-on replacement that lets maintainers change brake pads without tools or wheel removal, a capability the company says supports rapid sustainment operations and fleet availability for expeditionary missions.
Highlights
- SBD entered a new collaborative agreement with NCMS to advance its patented bolt-on Sphere Brake Kits for the Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle program.
- The kit’s bolt-on design allows maintainers to change brake pads without tools or wheel removal, supporting rapid sustainment operations and fleet availability.
- The agreement expands advanced manufacturing capacity in northwestern Pennsylvania, supporting engineering and precision-manufacturing jobs.
- SBD holds multiple issued U.S. patents covering its braking technology for military and commercial vehicle platforms.
A Bolt-On Kit Built for Field Sustainment
SBD engineered the Sphere Brake Kit as a direct bolt-on replacement for existing wheel-end brake assemblies. The design’s central feature is tool-free, wheel-off-free brake pad replacement, which the company says shortens field maintenance time relative to conventional tactical vehicle brakes. SBD says this supports rapid sustainment operations and increased fleet availability — requirements the company describes as critical for expeditionary military operations.
The company reports it has developed and validated the braking technology through engineering and vehicle testing processes that apply ISO quality and development methodologies, domestic manufacturing, and a U.S.-based supply chain.
Supporting the Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle
The ACV is the Marine Corps’ next-generation armored personnel carrier, built to move from ship to shore and to provide mobility, survivability, and combat capability. SBD says integrating its braking technology into the vehicle’s sustainment ecosystem supports the Marine Corps’ efforts to improve fleet readiness and reduce total ownership costs. The company positions the NCMS agreement as a foundation for extending the technology to additional military ground vehicle platforms.
SBD’s kit previously underwent a public demonstration for Army officials, including a tool-free pad swap at Aberdeen Proving Ground that fed into the technology’s transition toward Marine Corps testing on the ACV platform.
“This agreement demonstrates the confidence that our industry partners and the U.S. Marine Corps have in SBD’s technology,” said AJ Lewis, Founder and CEO of SBD. “Our mission has always been to deliver innovative, US-made solutions that improve warfighter readiness while reducing sustainment burdens.”
Expanding a Domestic Defense Manufacturing Base
SBD’s technology portfolio includes multiple issued U.S. patents covering advanced braking systems for both military and commercial vehicle applications, work that continues under an engineering organization that gained its first vice president of R&D earlier this year to lead sphere brake development across vehicle platforms. The company says the collaborative production effort strengthens the U.S. defense industrial base by expanding advanced manufacturing capacity in northwestern Pennsylvania and supporting engineering and precision-manufacturing jobs.
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