It worked for robot driving. So maybe a little competition will scare up some new ideas on how to armor up Humvees, too.
That seems to be the thinking over at Pentagon fringe science arm Darpa. Its Grand Challenge — the $25 million, all-robot race across the Mojave — inspired some very smart people to come up with some very smart new ways for machines to manuever on their own. Along the way, the race inspired reporters to give the agency the best press its had in years.
So, not surprisingly, Darpa is rolling out a second competition: the “Armor Challenge.” The agency is hoping that a series of “shoot-outs” will prompt someone to figure out how to create a defensive system that’s twice as light as rolled homogeneous armor steel, but still just as good at stopping 7.62mm and .50 cal rounds.
Proposers should expect to deliver three (3) eighteen inch (18 in.) by eighteen inch (18 in.) panels for each threat to be addressed. It is acceptable to propose a different panel configuration or weight to address each threat, but armor systems that can provide protection against the range of threats using a single configuration will be evaluated more favorably…
Armor Challenge shoot-outs will take place periodically (approximately quarterly) throughout the program… After the shoot-out, the team’s performance will be evaluated in two areas: 1) potential for reducing armor weight as determined by appropriate metrics, and 2) the expected cost of the armor in production quantities.
Maybe one day, the government hopes, the software and engineering behind the Grand Challenge can be used to create robotic trucks, so flesh-and-blood convoy drivers can be kept out of harm’s way. The Armor Challenge, on the other hand, is meant for more pressing needs. Insurgents are getting increasingly wise about tearing through American armor. That problem could be compunded in the coming years, as the Army moves to vehicles that are much, much lighter than the current crop. The replacement for the 70-ton Abrams tank, for example, is supposed to weigh in at only 24 tons. And a big chunk of that weight reduction is supposed to come with lighter, tougher armor.
Anyone in the military who still thinks FCS will replace the M1 Abrams tank needsd to be cashiered yesterday. After Thunder run and Objective Peach in OIF, there’s just no excuse.
At best, its armored vehicles will replace the M2/M3 Bradley, along with the Stryker family, M109 Paladin, and M113 command variants.
Good Evening Folks,
It appears now in order to save the FCS, DARPA has been tasked with over throwing the laws of Physics.
The only question here is how much will it cost to find out it can’t be done.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
What a concept to throw money at something that was done by the unpopular Army unit the Rapid Equipping Force about two years ago when they proved that composite armor was and is better than the current add-on armor steel kits being placed on the HWMMV in Iraq. But some old school officer that did not trust the new techn ology dismissed and here we are again.
Once again the Army likes the semi-useless big-ticket items so often hawked by the D0D’s defense industry buddies… As a 25 year career sailor/soldier and having been inside the killzone of an IED and survived, I think I have some of the best first-hand knowledge in the land of the living of what you need to counter IED’s and RPG’s. First off, the armor we “Up-Armor” our HMMWV’s with is so heavy the engines fail, suspensions fail and transmissions literally fall out of. –Not to mention they’re an oven you can’t shoot from or escape from without A/C! Sure, save a few bucks by not designing a new system or fielding the proper gear… Fact is, If we fought like we trained and every vehicle carried easily fitted/inexpensive cell phone jammers and real radio equipment instead of walmart walkietalkies shipped from home most IED threats would evaporate. How do you think our FOB gates stay safe? Travel at night (like we trained) w/night vision and IR would easily detect bad guys with RPG’s. But noooooo we’ll continue to try to overstuff a HMMWV like a Christmas turkey to REACT to the threats instead of PREVENT the threats. That’s the army way. That’s also why when my unit got it’s vital equipment upgrades in theatre we didn’t get the new helmets or scopes because the money wasn’t there for them. I did, however, get thermal underwear in the desert. See you all back in the sandpit in ’06!
Check out the latest Car and Driver. Csabe’s column has the right concept with a clean sheet of paper. It uses a lot of off the shelf parts with new tech.
Mr. Doe. You are an idiot. Not only do you have the vocabulary of a third grader, it’s also very obvious that you were either not in the military at all, or you were given a big chicken dinner for smoking crack. (That’s Marine speak for getting kicked the hell out) I think that Ssgt Beausoleil has it the best. He has obviously been in the situations before, and I feel that idiots like you speaking your mind and claiming that you are military just makes us look like morons that can’t tell our hands from our feet. Please… Castrate yourself.
A marine named dana talking smack about the army.….…priceless
SGM Isbister, I don’t believe SSG Dana Beausoleil is a Marine. First, Marines write it SSGT or SSgt not SSG thats an army abbreviation. Second he/she said sailor/soldier implying army and navy, a Marine would have wrote Marine. But he/she still makes a good point the DoD should put money into preventive measures, in addition to better armor. In any case we just need better gear in general. But we are still the best military in the world with the world’s finest fighting force, that can still do more with less. Semper Fi
I have been seeing a lot of information on the web about Diamond dust & nano diamond dust being used to coat various surfaces. This diamond dust is inexpensive and seems to me would probably make for some serious Armor. Used with a laminate or even blended would make since. Has anyone been doing this?
I hope everyone bitching about this subject will stop long enough to come up with some ideas that can actually help. Remember, the only dumb ideas are the ones you don’t share. Lets put our collective minds in gear and solve this problem so every soldier can come home whole.
How about a carbon nano tube cloth inpregnated onto a ceramic disc and covered with a diamond dust laminate?
They can come in sheets, or the famous “dragon scale” configuration.
DARPA’s role is to investigate and invest in the new technologies coming down the pike, that is a given. But all too often, the men and women wearing the stars, go for the gizmo’s with all the bells and whistles, taking a perfectly good weapon or system, and gold plating it.
DoD needs to swallow its pride, and look at how other country’s have addressed similiar threats. They may have developed low-tech innovations to protect their troops in such high-risk environs, because they do not have the budgets to throw money at the problem, the way the Pentagon does.
Israel and South Africa are known for coming up with some innovative solutions, for force protection. Whether those solutions are right for the United States’ troops, who go into harms way, is not for me to say. But there are innovations and technologies that should be considered by the experts, whose profession it is to know.
Perhaps a combination of low-tech and high-tech solutions, will provide the best protection for our forces. Whatever gets the job done. All too often, we are hampered by the “not invented here” syndrome. If a good idea originated in the private sector, or God forbid another country, it would be discounted out of hand. Considered inferior and unworthy of consideration, merely due to its source or country of origination.
I have been of great success at finally, my rank already practiced 43 levels and we have own a large of fiesta Gold.
Therefore, I diligently practiced the level to promote, only then promote only then can help me to save many cheap 2moons gold.
At best, its armored vehicles will replace the M2/M3 Bradley, along with the Stryker family, M109 Paladin, and M113 command variants.
I know that you are not a sloppy person, you have your aspiration, have your ideal. You will not care the game Habbo gold. Therefore you are doomed to leave Habbo, leave friends who these share some hardships, and leave me who am lonely apprentice.
Your reality husband can buy LOTRO Gold for you, but I also can be.
Now, you have Hellgate London Palladium and you might buy tens of billions experience values.
Remember we just met with each other by chance, we practiced the level and made last chaos gold together.
I was excited, originally it was such simple, and it also needs a little cheap mabinogi.
Every time, when I received the imvu credits, I always gave them to you.
One day, I read a article about Tibia Gold game. I was very dispirited and couldn’t help to give up Tibia coins.
If you’re wondering how to look out for bots, how to avoid them and what to do buy sro gold, you have come to the right place.
Thanks for reading and hopefully there will be a lot more Silkroad gold where that came from!
DANA is a joke, I worked with him on his first tour in Iraq and he was a windows admin. He lies about everything he claims he’s done. He has no firearm training, he has no Marine training or Army training. He was a squid in the Navy. His favorite cd to listen to at night in the NOC was Judy Garland. Come on Dana, just stop telling lies.