Defence Standard (00-25 pt 14)
There was a Defence Standard (00-25 pt 14) that stated that egress lighting must be fitted to armoured fighting vehicles – clearly indicating the MoD view that escape lighting was a required part of their ALARP view of the risk to their personnel.  A number of US operators also have similar views. Egress lighting should be designed to maximise the survivability of the crew by automatically illuminating all vehicle escape hatches, handles and vital
escape equipment.

The Egret system is referred in the US as EELS (Emergency Egress Lighting System) and in the UK as VELS (Vehicle Escape Lighting System).

EELS/VELS are important aids to crew survivability, designed to guide personnel to vehicle exits in the aftermath of an incident. The Egret system comprises several standard modular elements; various alert lights, impulse detector, rollover sensor, water sensor and batteries that collectively make a tailored vehicle egress lighting system. All components are designed to comply with DEF STAN and MIL-STD requirements for military use.

For years photoluminescent tape has been used within armoured vehicles as a means to indicate egress/escape points with the assumption that it will help the crew with spatial disorientation and be visible through smoke and water. Numerous trials have been conducted on photoluminescent and electroluminescent charged strip tape – findings clearly show that the products are not fit for purpose through smoke and water. LED lights permeate far better in turbid environments.

The Egret system utilises the standard configuration derived from helicopter trials. An inverted U illuminated with white lights is used around egress/escape points to effect rapid spatial orientation. UK MOD and US SOCOM use red lights to indicate locks and green lights to indicate door opening levers. The LED lights are of a high specification to ensure that they can be seen through thick smoke and turbid water.

The Egret lighting system can either operate completely independently from the vehicle electrics using its own rechargeable battery supply or draw from the vehicle’s power defaulting to its own primary cells in the event of an incident

With a combined 50+ years of experience of designing and manufacturing vehicle egress/escape lighting we are extremely qualified to assist with your requirements and integration. Modification to our standard fixtures and brackets can be performed to ensure that the Egret system can be integrated into any vehicle type.