EVALUATION OF LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIAL FOR STRUCTURE, MINE BLAST PROTECTION, AND BUOYANCY FOR AMPHIBIOUS MILITARY VEHICLES.

For this particular effort, TARDEC Center for Systems Integration (CSI) was tasked to lead an effort to develop an underbody kit that would serve multiple functions. The underbody kit would provide an additional 1,200 lbs of net buoyancy to enhance water mobility per the LAV. This program is in the development and testing phase with a prototype expected to be produced June of 2015. This program is one of multiple efforts to ensure the FOLAV meet all system requirements to keep the vehicle viable to 2035. In addition, the TARDEC concept/prototype must meet the same mine blast protection provided by the underbody D-Kit that was produced for the fleet of vehicles in 2010. This is a unique challenge as a combination of buoyancy, mine blast, and structural requirement on a ground military vehicle is novel idea. Vehicle weight and survivability requirements are difficult challenges on combat vehicles, to include the LAV, so the TARDEC solution would have to reduce the weight of the shell by approximately 60% and still achieve current survivability. Typically 20-30% reductions are considered aggressive, but 60% is usually unattainable.

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