OPTIMIZATION/INTEGRATION OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC FOAMS FOR STRUCTURE, THERMAL DISIPATION, MINE BLAST PROTECTION, AND BUOYANCY FOR AMPHIBIOUS MILITARY VEHICLES.

For this particular effort, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Center for Systems Integration (CSI) was tasked to develop a buoyancy/survivability kit that would serve multiple functions. The underbody kit would meet or surpass current required protection levels. Plus the kit was to ensure that the LAV-25A2 (Light Armored Vehicle) continues to meet the swim requirement. However, the overarching objective is to meet the survivability, ground mobility, and water mobility requirements. Combining the accomplishments in the TARDEC & PM-LAV (Program Manager for the Light Armored Vehicle) survivability program in 2013-2014 with the TARDEC & PM-LAV buoyancy/survivability kit developed in 2015-2016, the overall weight is decreased, water mobility is improved, and survivability is significantly improved.

This is a unique challenge as a combination of buoyancy, mine blast, and structural requirement on a ground military vehicle is novel idea. The current underbody D-kit weighs 3,700lbs and results in a loss of ground clearance that adversely impacts the ground mobility capability. TARDECs survivability program conducted for the Program Manager for the Light Armored Vehicle (PM-LAV) in 2014 estimated that to add survivability upgrades it would add an additional 460 lbs. Furthermore, planned LAV Programs would add an additional 1,600 lbs. This is a weight growth of 5,760 lbs and would severely impact the water and land mobility of LAV-25A2.

This paper will present how U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) developed innovative solutions to enable the LAV-25A2 to significantly improve survivability, meet current swim requirements, and have enough weight reserve that a ride height suspension and new engine could be added without impacting the other two requirements.