Lighter trucks: researchers see aluminum as alternative to steel armor.

• Author: Jean, Grace V.
• Position: Tactical Vehicles

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Military vehicles in combat zones are so weighed down with steel that commanders worry that heavily armored trucks often are too hard to maneuver or even unsafe.

In response to these concerns, Navy researchers have been testing new armoring materials that could provide equal protection at a much lower weight. One of the more promising materials has the potential to be just as strong as steel, but as light as aluminum, said scientists at the Office of Naval Research. This tri-modal aluminum, as it is called, is a combination of various ceramic and metallic materials that provide a greater level of ballistic protection at a lower weight. It is being developed in the form of an applique armor kit--known as a "B" kit--for ground vehicles, The kit consists of panels that are attached to the vehicles' exteriors for increased protection.

To combat insurgents' roadside bombs, the military has invested in special mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles and armor kits. But the rush to defeat explosions with bulked-up combat vehicles has created a paradox for the services. The metal plates add weight, which troops have complained is hampering their ability to maneuver around the battlefield and creating safety hazards, among other issues.

Try opening the door of an MRAP or uparmored humvee right now, especially if it rolls over" said Lt Gen George Flynn, commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, who returned recently from a deployment to Iraq. Because of the protective metal, the doors are extremely heavy--a perilous situation if troops have to evacuate the cabin during an emergency. "The answer is not hydraulics. What if they're not working? We still need to get out of the vehicle," he told an Office of Naval Research conference in Arlington, Va.

The weight of the MRAPs also have caused problems for Marines in Afghanistan, said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway.

"The Afghan roads are sloped in some cases, unlike roads here in the United States or elsewhere. There's a lot of mountain trails and switchbacks and those types of things and the vehicle is still too heavy," Conway told reporters at the Pentagon. "We've taken that back to the manufacturers. They're working on it."

The weight issue has become such a priority that all Marine Corps vehicle program managers currently are looking at weight reduction options, including lightweight armor.

That poses a significant challenge for vehicle designers...