War Weaponry: Armor

Showing posts with label Armor. Show all posts

The Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, today announced that the Government has given second pass approval for the upgrade of the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) under project LAND 112 Phase 4 - ASLAV Enhancement.

The ASLAV has been deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations since 2004, and is now in use in Afghanistan.

The ASLAV provides our forces in Afghanistan with mobility, firepower and protection, enabling our troops to conduct search and escort operations and provide support to close combat operations.

Senator Faulkner said: "These enhancements, which have a total project cost of $302.8 million, will result in our ASLAV fleet being up-armoured to provide greater protection to cater for difficult and dangerous environments such as those in Afghanistan. The upgrade will ensure the ASLAV fleet provides the highest possible combat protection and capability in the future."

The enhancements will provide increased protection against a wider range of threats - including Improvised Explosive Devices - by improving ballistic, fragmentation and blast protection.

The project will also see improvements to the vehicle's suspension, driveline and engine, ensuring the ASLAV remains a highly capable and versatile light armoured vehicle for the duration of its service with the ADF.

The project plans to deliver 113 upgraded vehicles, commencing by April 2012. Defence is also investigating options for significantly expediting the schedule for the upgrade.

There will be a range of opportunities for Australian Industry to be involved in the installation and support of the upgrade. These include pre-modification and refurbishment work, suspension and drivetrain upgrades, installation of upgrade kits, and the redesign and manufacturing of mine blast belly plates, to be carried out by General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia, located in Pooraka, South Australia.

Armor

Designed and engineered by a retired Navy SEAL, ArmoRight is a lightweight body armor system for use in marine environments that combines protection from from handgun, rifle and shrapnel threats with neutral or positive buoyancy capabilities.

Introduced by anti-terrorism training and preparedness specialists Tactical Solution Partners at the NAVEXFOR 2008 Symposium and Expo in Virginia Beach, the new vest also aims to deliver an adaptable, less cumbersome system that provides a superior fit in a lightweight package that delivers greater agility for the wearer.

“We designed our personnel protective equipment for buoyancy, user comfort and performance in tight-quarters, shoot and move situations. With all of the requirements placed on our soldiers, aviators and law enforcement personnel, the one-size-fits-all approach to ballistics protection equipment no longer works,” said Doug McQuarrie, Director of Technology and Marketing for the Company’s TSO division and designer of the ArmoRight body armor system.

Armor

TACARM, provider of unique body armor today announced that its President will receive a patent for the Ballistic Elbow Guard TM and Ballistic Knee Guard TM. “This is a proud achievement for our company as it will enable TACARM to provide these to US military and law enforcement personnel without competition for the next 15 years,” said Matthew Sonner.

Tactical knee and elbow pads made by other domestic and foreign manufacturers do not provide any ballistic coverage. “While serving in Iraq in 2004, I recognized that military and law enforcement personnel would suffer fewer wounds if equipped with knee and elbow pads that provide ballistic protection,” said Mr. Sonner.

TACARM’s knee and elbow pads provide various levels of ballistic protection based on the needs of the user. Military personnel that wear gear for days at a time have the option of less ballistic protection such as level IIA. Tactical law enforcement officers conducting a quick raid can deploy with knee and elbow pads rated at level IIIA. “Unprotected knees and elbows are especially vulnerable to permanent damage when penetrated by high velocity bomb fragments or pistol rounds. My invention is designed to stop many penetration wounds and also the rapid blood loss that can lead to death on the battlefield”, said Mr. Sonner.

Upon returning from Iraq, Mr. Sonner applied for a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. “The patent process is slow, expensive and not friendly to independent inventors. I realized early on that legal protection would be critical to establishing a successful body armor company based on these products”, said Mr. Sonner.

The US Army requested these for testing, and TACARM has provided these to satisfied customers around the since 2008. TACARM’s President expects the Ballistic Elbow Guard TM and Ballistic Knee Guard TM to replace foam pads currently used by military and law enforcement units around the world.

TACARM is focusing on expanding sales by introducing these to retailers and distributors of tactical gear. It will also make these available to law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security for evaluation.

TACARM also offers the patent pending Ballistic Combat Uniform TM (BCU), designed to be worn with a ballistic vest. It provides protection to the lower back, hips and upper thighs. The BCU allows the wearer to quickly add or remove ballistic protection based on mission requirements and environmental factors. Since 2006, the BCU has been protecting Americans serving in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Armor

Introducing Trochus niloticus

Discovered in 2003 around the hostile hydrothermal vents of the Indian Ocean, and drawing immediate interest from Professor Christine Ortez of MIT's Laboratory, this particular hot vent gastropod, the Trochus niloticus or more quirkily-named "scaly-foot" snail has been found to demonstrate a structural shell unlike any other naturally-occurring or synthesized armor. It is formed from three layers comprising an outer layer fortified with iron sulfide granules, a thick organic middle layer, and a calcified inner layer. Conversely, most other snail shells have a calcified layer with a thin organic coating on the outside.

How they discovered it...

In the new paper, partly funded by the Army and the Department of Defense, Ortiz and her colleagues measured the mechanical properties of the shell by subjecting it at a nanoscale to pressure applied with a diamond-tipped machine called an "indenter". The results suggest that the unusual organic middle layer absorbs a lot of energy allowing the shell to dissipate mechanical energy, and also heat and thermal fluctuations that would fracture weaker shells.

So what does that mean for the snail?

Put simply, the super shell protects against hostile attack from crabs and other snail species, and also dissipates the fluctuations in temperature and acidity in the harsh habitat it favors. Since crabs may subject a shell to sustained mechanical pressure for days in the quest for a tasty escargot, the heroic capacity to resist persecution is a welcome advantage.

... and for future body armor design?

Ortiz, a material scientist and a member of MIT's ISN, is studying a number of other natural armor systems in urchins, chitins, beetles and armored fish to understand the fundamental design principles of their exoskeletons.

She thinks research in this field may help engineers design improved body armor systems for humans in perilous situations, like the military or police. Additionally, she proposes that replacing weaker parts of an armor system with stronger materials could yield much tougher composites for use in armor or structural applications like automobile panels or plane wings.