TenCate Advanced Armor USA and the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) have signed a multi-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to evaluate the TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system for improved soldier protection.
This collaboration enables TenCate engineers to demonstrate the ability of the TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system to protect combat and tactical ground vehicle crews from the devastating effects of insurgent mines, roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IED's). RDECOM's evaluation process ensures that the TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system solutions are robust in design and performance and ready for real world military applications.
The IED
In 2006 the US Department of Defense established the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) to explore and identify ways to prevent, identify and defeat IEDs. The US ARMY is also focused on this objective. For example, TARDEC's (US ARMY Tank and Automotive Research and Development Center) 'Occupant Centric' soldier protection program seeks to identify, develop, and integrate technologies that will protect ground vehicle crews from underbody threats, crashes and rollovers while minimizing parasitic weight and maintaining or improving the mobility of the vehicle system.
Mitigating mine blast energy
The TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system can save lives and significantly reduce mission compromising injury by minimizing the transfer of mine blast energy witnessed by a crew. The system efficiently manages the launch acceleration of the vehicle, its flight and the ensuing fall back to earth. This CRADA is a mechanism to utilize the vast capabilities and expertise of RDECOM's various engineering centers with an integrated approach to testing and developing the system's features, speeding its maturation and certifying its technology readiness level (TRL) for future use on military platforms.
Lifesaving technology
"The US Army has a clear vision on the protection of mounted troops and TenCate has developed important lifesaving technologies," says Mark Edwards, President of TenCate Advanced Armor USA. "We are committed to this world class 'soldier survivability' program and determined to meet or exceed every mil-spec requirement necessary to quickly, yet safely, provide this threat protection solution to our troops."
Scalable on wide range of platforms
The TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system, developed by a dedicated team of specialists within TenCate Advanced Armor USA, has demonstrated measurable improvements in occupant survivability. Third party tests illustrate that decreased energy absorption, lower vehicle jump height, and modest 'fall back' can reduce injuries, shorten recovery times, and improve mission effectiveness. The TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system offers weight, space and cost efficiencies and can be retrofit onto wide range of new or fielded platforms. In addition, it is uniquely scalable to adapt to evolving threats.
TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system is the world's first practical active underbody blast threat protection system and it is ready for platform evaluations today.
TenCate Advanced Armor USA, based in Newark and Hebron, Ohio, with dedicated engineering offices in Goleta, California, specializes in engineering and manufacturing materials and systems that provide armor protection for troops, ground vehicles, air and watercraft.