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Protection
Mission: Develop technologies for life support and personnel protection from ballistic and explosive threats. Advance the development of armor systems for personnel, life support equipment, and manned vehicles for land, sea, or air.
Project Funding
Protection represented six percent of EOD/LIC FY08 program funding.
Funding targets projects that characterize Protection mission goals.
Protection Focus Area Product Catalog
Protection products embody technologies designed to protect personnel from ballistic and explosive threats.
Ballistic Protection for Special Operations Craft – Riverine
Battelle Memorial Institute, working with boat builder United States Marine, Inc. (USMI) recently completed development of a lightweight armor solution for the Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R). The armor kit is designed to provide ballistic protection to the occupants and propulsion system while providing a weight reduction of approximately 500 lbs over the previously used armor. The improved armor kits also protect against ricochets, a capability the previous steel armor lacked. With the ability to be quickly installed or removed as needed in the field by the operators, this armor solution has been chosen to be retrofitted onto the entire fleet of SOC-R craft. USMI will produce and install the kits. Additional information is available at http://www.usmi.com.
Obscurant System for Special Operations Craft – Riverine
The Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division developed an obscurant system that provides a new capability for a small boat to rapidly and safely generate a defensive smoke screen under combat conditions. This system will provide immediate protection when needed during riverine operations in hostile areas. System testing verified operability on a maritime platform, effectiveness in generating a suitable smokescreen, and safety of craft personnel during smoke screen deployment. In February 2004, based on the successful test results, USSOCOM approved the EOD/LIC obscurant system for production. All 20 of the Special Operations Craft – Riverine (SOCR) craft will be outfitted.
EOD Dispersion Suppressive System
ITT Industries developed a dispersion suppressive system that will significantly reduce the immediate explosive hazard from small explosive devices. This system will be employed in areas where the damage from blast or fragmentation effects is unacceptable. Potential commercial-off-the-shelf blast/fragmentation dispersal/suppression systems were evaluated. The resulting data were used to develop a more reliable, portable, two-man deployable system capable of being taken from storage to operation within minutes. The primary objective is blast mitigation, with fragmentation containment as a secondary concern. The target size is a 2 to 5 lb TNT equivalent.
Navy Marine Mammal Expeditionary Environmental
Control Pen
During OIF, the force protection MK 6 Marine Mammal system was deployed indefinitely in Bahrain. The extreme water and air temperatures in the area required an in-water climate-controlled enclosure to keep the dolphins healthy and mission capable. SPAWAR designed a large-scale system to fulfill this specific requirement. Following OIF, the Marine Mammal platoon highlighted the need to have a similar system, but one redesigned for use on rapid shipboard deployments. NSCT-1’s Marine Mammal platoon requires the ability to deploy for extended periods of time in environments where the ambient water and air temperatures would negatively impact the health and performance of the dolphins. This effort will enable the operation of the Marine Mammal Mine Counter-Mine systems at full effectiveness for the duration of deployment in extreme environments. The pen will be capable of housing four dolphins per system in a climate controlled in-water enclosure from which the dolphins can be efficiently and effectively operated. The system must be capable of rapid deployment and breakdown and must have a small footprint for shipboard transport.