One-Third of a Century of Army Interest in Automotive Hydraulic Brake Fluids

Since 1938 the US Army has assumed a leading role in the research and development of automotive hydraulic brake fluids. This effort is justified because military requirements for brake fluids are more severe than usually encountered in normal civilian operation. Unique situations to which military vehicles are exposed include cross-country travel, fording of streams, extreme climatic operating conditions, and unusual storage situations. Because of the need for fluids which will perform in these environments, Army brake fluid specifications are more stringent and specific than industrial specifications.