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, under the direction of the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and with assistance from other RDECOM Agencies, the TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system for enhanced soldier protection. The technology evaluation program now enters the second phase, ensuring that this protection solution is robust and ready to reduce injuries and save military lives.
This RDECOM-wide 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 technology evaluation process ensures that the TenCate ABDS(TM) active blast countermeasure system solutions are robust in design and performance and ready to reduce injuries and save lives in military applications.
Improvised explosive devices
The IED has become a weapon of choice for insurgent forces and is the single largest cause of serious injury during the last ten years in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. 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 heavily focused on this objective and in 2013 the Agency extended an invitation to TenCate Advanced Armor for participation in this important effort.
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 the mounted 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 blast resistant military platforms.
Lifesaving technology
"The US Army has clear vision on the protection of mounted troops and TenCate has developed important lifesaving technologies to meet these requirements," 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 in order 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 a 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.