Defense Armor Funding - 2011 Requests

2010 was a fantastic year for defense appropriations for composite companies, in particular, composite armor received substantial funding. Even though it is only April, Senators are beginning to announce their 2011 requests. Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky announced some of his requests, and looks like 2011 will be another stellar year for composite armor funding. Below are Bunning's related requests:

Project: De-Weighting Military Vehicles through Advanced Composites Manufacturing Technology

Amount Requested: $3,200,000

Recipient: MAG Industrial Automation Systems

Location: Boone County, KY

Description:  This is a research and development project for manufacturing of a machine to produce lighter-weight parts for military vehicles.  The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it advances technology that delivers light-weight materials that improve fuel efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced combat readiness.

Project: Enabling Optimization of Reactive Armor 

Amount Requested: $5,000,000

Recipient: Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Dynamics

Location: Muhlenberg County, KY

Description: These funds will be used to develop a replacement for current reactive armor used by the Army which will be reduced in weight, meet new threats, and increase overall safety. 

Project:  New Specialty Resins for Advanced Composite Armor

Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Recipient: Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.

Location: Jefferson County, KY

Description: Funds will help develop a new range of matrix resins that address shortcomings in existing composite ballistic armor systems.  Achieving a better balance of properties will advance composite toughness, enhance fire, smoke, and toxicity performance to help our servicemen and women. 

Project: Tactical Mobility Consortium (TMC)

Amount Requested: $8,000,000

Recipient: University of Kentucky Research Foundation and M2 Technologies

Location: Fayette County, KY

Description:  The requested funding will advance years of aggressive research and development with the Marine Corps to deliver a critical force protection capability to the warfighter, allowing our military to provide the technical expertise required to assess the intended and unintended impacts of emerging technologies within the context of expeditionary warfare.  

Hopefully the military is actually requesting this research...

Source and Photo Credit: Senator Jim Bunning

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DARPA Composite Armor Development

Some great warfighter technologies come out of the DARPA. Here is a synopsis for the development of composite armor with private company Hardwire.

"In collaboration with the U.S. Army, the Hardwire® DARPA Armor program exploited unique hybrid composite materials in innovative geometries and systems to provide improved military vehicle armor protection at a significantly reduced weight compared to other technologies. This approach to armor design has provided a suite of armor solutions that can be tailored to meet mission and vehicle-specific weight and performance requirements in response to specific and emerging threats. New insights and infrastructure for armor manufacturing has changed hybrid, composite armor production from a labor-intensive, small-quantity process to a quality-controlled, high-throughput operation. The program applied automated high-precision production fabrication technologies to adaptively and rapidly produce panels to specification and at a cost comparable to that of traditional armor. These changes in the composite armor design and production paradigm have made life-saving armor systems available for warfighter vehicles"

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Spider Web Composite Armor - Biomimicry

I love biomimicry, and in particular, natures' ability to manufacture superior composite materials. Spider silk, known to be one of the strongest materials per unit of weight has made news yet again. A start-up called EntoGenetics has recently received a grant to produce spider silk from a silkworm:

"EntoGenetics has developed a method for transferring a spider's silk production gene into the common silkworm, creating for the first time a commercially viable method of spider silk production. This fiber will provide soldiers with life-saving vests that are tougher, lighter and more comfortable to wear than current vests made of Kevlar and other similar fibers. It will also be used in promising medical, aerospace and composite applications."

More Info:  NC IDEA

Photo Credit: photofarmer via flicker


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Shell Armor - Biomimicry Composites

Here is a new study on a deep water sea snail who has an amazing shell. It lives by geothermal vents so it experiences extreme fluctuations in temperature and acidity. Yet in this highly corrosive environment this snail shell still provides protection from predators.

It is no surprise that researchers are looking at this type of shell to provide insights for new armor. Biomimicry is one of my favorite topics here as there is much we can learn from mother nature. She has after all been inventing and modifying for millions of years.

What other "animal armor" is out there that perhaps we should look at? Take the desert tortoise for example, much like a Humvee in Afghanistan the tortoise's armor needs to be lightweight, strong, and withstand the harsh environments.

Photo Credit: Ken Wilcox via flicker

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Composite Armor gets Big Defense Funding

The US government is starting to put a good deal of money behind composite material research and development. Just a few weeks ago 2010 Defense budget was accepted, and with this came a good deal of special composite material projects, some of which I have discussed before here. In addition, here are some more announcements of composite related defense funding (almost all for composite armor):

- University of Delaware has been awarded $1,600,000 to spur the development of the next-generation composite technologies to support advanced watercraft that will be faster, stronger, stealthier, less costly, field repairable, have longer service life, and are up-armor capable to operate. Source

- The University of Delaware will additionally receive $3,200,000 for continued research to allow the Army's Composites Applied Research and Technology Center to successfully insert more durable, modular, lighter and protective composite armor and structures into its tactical vehicle fleets more quickly and affordably. Source

- INVISTA S.a.r.l. will receive $3,200,000 to increase the safety and protection of soldiers' uniforms with improved flame resistant, durable, lower cost materials to protect against Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs). Source

- Armor Dynamics is set to receive $1.6 million to develop advanced composite and reactive armor. Source

- $3.9 million for Tex Tech Industries to produce Ballistic CORE Technology. The Ballistic CORE Technology project provides enhanced protection for troops against fragmentation from blasts and a variety of bullets. Source

- $1.6 million for Hodgdon Defense for research and development to reduce structural weight for high-speed composite craft through the use of lightweight composite materials. Source

- $5.3 million for the University of Maine in Orono. The appropriations funding will support critical programs to include the LGX High Temperature Acoustic Wave Sensors, woody biomass conversion to JP-8 Fuel, ballistic protection for remote forward operating bases, and cellulose nanocomposite technology to support operating base infrastructure and troop protection. Source

- $320 million for the Warren-based Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and its National Automotive Center. That money will support such research into protecting Army vehicles against rocket propelled grenades and other explosives, strengthening combat and tactical vehicle armor, and developing fuel cell and hybrid electric vehicles. Source

- $3.2 million for Air Products to develop stronger and lighter composite armor for military vehicles Source

- $1.6 million for Bosch Rexroth Corporation in Lehigh County to develop a suite of simulators capable of screening and evaluating new materials, light weight structures, and high value subsystems and components on both wheeled and tracked vehicles. Source

- $1.6 million for Lawrence Technological University to develop and test stronger, lighter vehicle armor. Source

In addition to the DoD appropriations bill finding, the Army Research Labratory's is providing a $15 million Army contract to the University of Dayton Research Institute for composite armor systems from the future. Source

Did I forget any other government funding for composite armor?

Photo credit: nevada tubleweed via flickr

New Humvee Door Design

Here is an article from Defense News talking about new BAE Systems armor kits for the Humvee and how they reduce weight by 500 lbs. (Which actually doesn't seem like that much). What I found most interesting in the article, is that they redesigned the doors which:

"feature front and rear doors that swing open like cabinet doors, providing combat troops front- and rear-armor protection."

Most all military vehicle doors open like conventional automobiles, in parallel. However, it makes perfect sense to reverse this. The doors, up armored with composites, act as shields and protect from the front and rear.

I am willing to bet money this will save more then one life, and it is often the simple ideas which can have a great impact. Perhaps in other military and composite applications designers and engineers should take a step back, and question why.

Photo Credit: US Army Military Command via flicker

Lightweight Composite Armor

Pictured above is the results from a roadside bomb in Iraq that killed 14 US marines. It should be a reminder that while US troops are fighting overseas, they need to be best protected and armored.

Lightweight composite armor, as discussed before here, here, and here, is playing an important role in troop protection and mobility. Troops need to be protected at the highest level, yet they cannot be overburdened or slowed down by excess weight.

One of the largest US manufacturers of composite armor is Hardwire LLC, they were ranked in the September edition of INC Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies. In a press release from today, Hardwire announced that they plan to double there manufacturing capacity.

In related news, Army Times is reporting that the Army is considering developing a lighter version of the Abrams battle tank. Currently, the Abrams tank weighs in at 75 tons and the new tank would have a goal of 60 tons. Lightweight composite armor would undoubtedly be mandatory in this new tank design.

Additionally here is a press release about General Dynamics new Stryker vehicle. This too would utilize lightweight composite armor.

With no definite end to conflict abroad creating a continued demand from the military, it is no wonder companies like Hardwire are expanding.

Photo Credit : nukeit1 via flicker

Composite Armor Updates

He are some of the of the latest on composite armor:

BAE Systems Security & Survivability announced they will be supplying the composite armor kits for 1,780 new military line haul tractors. More Info

In a separate announcement, BAE signed an agreement with Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA), located in Rock Island, Illinois. This government agency will be working with BAE to provide the manufacturing of composite armor. More Info

Here is an interesting article about the M-ATV program and Oshkosh, It seems the military is going to order 10,000 of these vehicles (already have ordered 2,000). All of which will be fit with composite armor from Plasan.

Finally, here is an article about a recent military show in China. The People's Liberation Army showed off UAVs, weapons, and combat vehicles. The article states:

"The Type-99G MBT is the most modern variant of the new Type-98/99 series first seen in the 1999 parade. Improvements include an upgraded turret with detachable and upgradable composite armor, use of explosive reactive armor, plus improved engine and targeting systems."

I wonder what type of composite materials China is using?

Photo Credit: Army.mil via flicker

Composite Armor Companies Get More Funding

Composite armor companies are making some recent headlines for receiving substantial funding support. This includes the following:

Armor Dynamics, out of Kingston, NY is set to receive $2 million from the fiscal year 2010 defense appropriations bill to develop advanced composite armor. You can read the announcement here and another one here.

In same 2010 defense bill, PPG Industries is set to receive $2 million in composite armor development. Press release here.

Additionally, CPS Technologies Corporation announced it has received an award of $1,473,509 from the Army Research Laboratory to continue the development of manufacturing technologies for large modules hybrid metal matrix composite armor. Read the press release here.

Not to mention the $3.3 million slated to AGY for ballistic fiber which was mentioned before here.

As long as troops are in conflict, force protection will be mandatory. Here is an interesting blog post about composite armor in the MRAP vehicle and the JLTV. The JLTV, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, which is in development by some of the largest military contractors and will hopefully be the replacement for the older Hummer-type military vehicles.

Photo Credit: Army.mil via flicker

Why troops need composite armor

Watch the video above, although the soundtrack is rather odd, it sure does paint a picture of what the troops are experiencing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Between body armor and vehicle armor, there is an undisputed need to protect the soldiers from explosions.

As mentioned before, composite armor is playing an important role in force protection. The goal of composite armor is to have the most protection, lightest weight, yet still be affordable. New materials and a combination of materials are constantly lowering the weight of armor while increasing the protection.