| Wamar International Successfully Completed Contracts, but Unanticipated Problems Affected Costs and Schedules |
28 Jan 2010 |
39 pages |
| Authors:
Ziad Buhaissi; George Salvatierra; Robert Whiteley; Michael Welsh; SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ARLINGTON VA
|
 | SIGIR found that Wamar successfully completed the three contracts and that JCC-I/A and GRD actively carried out their management and oversight responsibilities, though some management and contract problems affected costs and schedules. The 2004 contract, competitively awarded to Wamar to purchase and deliver armored vehicles (W914NS-04-D-0121), was mostly successful although eight vehicles were stolen and other vehicles were delivered late. Wamar replaced the stolen vehicles at no cost to the ... |
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| Analytical Prediction of Lower Leg Injury in a Vehicular Mine Blast Event |
Jan 2010 |
28 pages |
| Authors:
Justine Li; MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE DEPT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
|
| Modeling the effects of anti-vehicular mines on the lower human body through both experiments and finite element models is expensive. The objective of this project is to produce accurate predictions of axial tibia loads through the development and verification of a one-dimensional (1-D) analytical model. In this effort, a 1-D analytical model of the lower leg created in this project was evaluated for its accuracy in predicting the maximum tibia ... |
|
| Fuzzy Logic as a Tool to Compare Reliability of Torsion Bar System |
17 Dec 2009 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
William House; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI
|
| One of most critical systems in military vehicles is the suspension system and the reliability of the system is essential to maintain a mission capable status. When changes to the vehicle suspension system are warranted, the reliability of the system must be reevaluated to assure that service life is maintained. As the design to implementation cycles continue to be reduced, new tools are needed to be developed to aid in ... |
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| Occupant Centric Integrated Survivability |
14 Dec 2009 |
19 pages |
| Authors:
Paul Rogers; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI
|
| Understand how to balance vehicle protection, performance and payload through an integrated survivability approach that starts with occupant protection. |
|
| Army Future Combat System (FCS) Spin-Outs and Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV): Background and Issues for Congress |
30-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; Nathan J Lucas; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
 | The Future Combat System (FCS) was a multiyear, multibillion dollar program at the heart of the Army's transformation efforts. It was to be the Army's major research, development, and acquisition program, consisting of 14 manned and unmanned systems tied together by an extensive communications and information network. FCS was intended to replace current systems such as the M-1 Abrams tank and the M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. The FCS program ... |
|
| Combat Vehicle Fire Control Systems - Gun/Sight Synchronization |
09-Nov-2009 |
25 pages |
| Authors:
ABERDEEN TEST CENTER MD
|
| This TOP describes tests for measuring and evaluating the capability of vehicle-mounted main-gun sighting systems; particularly those systems located apart from the gun mount, to maintain the prescribed azimuth and elevation relationship with the gun-bore axis for all positions of gun elevation and depression. The reader is referred to TOP 3-2-836 (0) (ADA509433) Combat Vehicle Fire Control Systems - Overview Document or International Test Operations Procedure (ITOP) 3-2-836 (0) Combat ... |
|
| Energy Storage Commonality Military vs. Commercial Trucks |
27-Oct-2009 |
13 pages |
| Authors:
Joseph K Heuvers; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI GROUND VEHICLE POWER AND MOBILITY
|
| There are three distinct requirements for Military Energy Storage: * Starting, Lighting and Ignition - Batteries provide electric power to start the vehicle power generation (Engines / APUs); * Hybrid Vehicle Boost Acceleration and Regenerative Braking Energy Capture - In hybrid vehicle powertrains, batteries have the ability to supplement main engine power for burst accelerations. In addition, batteries can be used to recover wasted energy in vehicle braking; * Silent ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions. Rapid Acquisition of MRAP Vehicles |
08-Oct-2009 |
16 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
|
| As of July 2008, about 75 percent of casualties in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were attributed to improvised explosive devices. To mitigate the threat from these weapons, the Department of Defense (DOD) initiated the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program in February 2007, which used a tailored acquisition approach to rapidly acquire and field the vehicles. In May 2007, the Secretary of Defense affirmed MRAP as DOD's most ... |
|
| Defense Acquisitions: Department of Defense Needs a Unified Strategy for Balancing Investments in Tactical Wheeled Vehicles |
28-Sep-2009 |
31 pages |
| Authors:
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
|
| Ground-based military operations generally make use of two broad categories of vehicles: combat vehicles designed for a specific fighting function and tactical vehicles designed primarily for use by forces in the field in connection with or in support of tactical operations. Combat vehicles generally move on tracks versus wheels and include the Abrams tank, Bradley Fighting vehicle, and the Paladin self-propelled howitzer. Tactical vehicles generally move on wheels and include ... |
|
| Combat Vehicle Fire Control Systems - Overview Document |
14-Sep-2009 |
10 pages |
| Authors:
ABERDEEN TEST CENTER MD
|
| TOP 3-2-836 is comprised of a family of procedures. This document describes the content and format of the family of documents. There are approximately 50 different subsets of test procedures currently planned to assess combat vehicle fire control systems. Appendix A shows the structure of these documents in a block diagram. The reader should be aware that although some of the procedures listed in this TOP will exist as International ... |
|
| Detection of Humans and Light Vehicles Using Acoustic-to-Seismic Coupling |
31 Aug 2009 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
James M Sabatier; Alexander E Ekimov; MISSISSIPPI UNIV UNIVERSITY
|
| Heavy vehicles, such as tanks or other armored vehicles, can typically be detected using seismic sensors and sensors to detect low-frequency engine noise; light vehicles are harder to detect, particularly in high noise areas. The objective of this research effort was to conduct studies in the detection of light vehicles using sensor and signal processing techniques developed for human detection by the University of Mississippi under the MURI grant W911NF-04-1-0190. ... |
|
| MSTV Mini-Symposium Preview |
12-Aug-2009 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
Mark J Brudnak; ARMY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING COMMAND WARREN MI
|
| MISSION: Provide Rapid Assessment and Integration Services to both Technology and System/Platform Development Programs; Throughout the Lifecycle; Consider Warfighter, System, and System-of-Systems Context. OBJECTIVES: Provide Systems/SoS Perspective to Combat Developer, PM and Tech Developer on Requirements, Tradeoffs and Integration; Provide SWAP, Performance, Operational, Cost, and Sustainment Impacts; Provide and Share Configuration Managed Data on Technologies, Systems, M&S and related programs/processes; Explore Multiple Options and Trades Rapidly; METHODS: Develop Vehicle Concepts ... |
|
| Impact of Loading Distribution of Abrams Suspension on Track Performance and Durability |
03-Aug-2009 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
David Ostberg; Bill Bradford; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI GROUND VEHICLE POWER AND MOBILITY
|
| High life cycle costs coupled with durability and environmental challenges of tracked vehicles in South West Asia (SWA) have focused R&D activities on understanding failure modes of track components as well as understanding the system impacts on track durability. The durability limiters for M1 Abrams (M1, M1A1, and M1A2) T-158LL track systems are the elastomeric components. The focus of this study is to review test methodology utilized to collect preliminary ... |
|
| System Engineering Approach to Assessing Integrated Survivability |
Aug-2009 |
15 pages |
| Authors:
Daniel Hicks; Heather Molitoris; ARMY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING COMMAND WARREN MI
|
| Land platforms are increasingly required to carry out a wide range of roles in support of very diverse operations ranging from high intensity conflict to Operations Other Than War (OOTW). The acceptance of casualties is low and reduction is a strategic political imperative. As a result, crew/platform survivability is important to mission effectiveness and success. Methods for achieving survivability need to be objectively assessed and prioritized to meet cost constraints. ... |
|
| Developing a Methodology for the Evaluation of Military Hybrid Electric Vehicle Thermal Management Systems |
29-Jul-2009 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
Stanley Jones; Ghassan Khalil; George Frazier; John Mendoza; ARMY TANK-AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER WARREN MI
|
| A method for the evaluation of military hybrid electric vehicle thermal management systems has been developed. The approach allows for the generation of a set of evaluation metrics for determination of the effectiveness of existing systems and the means to assess alternative concepts and advanced approaches. Further, through the use of a set of deterministic performance metrics the methodology allows for evaluation of performance margins for adverse boundary conditions and ... |
|
| Defense Acquisitions: Issues to be Considered for Army's Modernization of Combat Systems |
16-Jun-2009 |
19 pages |
| Authors:
Paul L Francis; Noah B Bleicher; William R Graveline; Marcus C Ferguson; William C Allbritton; Tana M Davis; Helena Brink; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
|
| The Future Combat System (FCS) has been at the center of the Army's efforts to become a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force by replacing existing combat systems with a family of manned and unmanned vehicles and systems, linked by an advanced information network. To meet the challenges of FCS's scope and schedule, the Army contracted with Boeing to be lead systems integrator (LSI), to help define, develop, ... |
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| Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress |
15-Jun-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| In late 2007, the Department of Defense (DOD) launched a major procurement initiative to replace most uparmored High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) in Iraq with Mine- Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles by FY2009. MRAPs have been described as providing significantly more protection against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) than uparmored HMMWVs. DOD's decision to acquire a new, smaller MRAP variant, the M-ATV, for use in Afghanistan; the disposition of MRAPs no longer ... |
|
| Does the MRAP Meet the US Army's Needs as the Primary Method of Protecting Troops from the IED Threat? |
12-Jun-2009 |
90 pages |
| Authors:
Robert W Russell; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS
|
| The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threat to the U.S. Army and the various methods that have been used to counter this threat. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP) is currently the favored method of countering IEDs. The Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, has made the MRAP the top priority for military procurement, and has accelerated the procurement process from 10 years ... |
|
| The Stryker Mobile Gun System: A Case Study on Managing Complexity |
Jun-2009 |
139 pages |
| Authors:
Christian C Ayers; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| This case study analyzes how the Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) program managed complexity. The MGS is one of the ten variants of the Stryker series of vehicles that equip the Army's Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. These brigades were created by the Army Chief of Staff from 1999-2003, General Eric Shinseki, to provide the Army with a highly deployable medium-force capability. Initially intended as a variant that required limited development, ... |
|
| MRAPs, Irregular Warfare, and Pentagon Reform |
Jun-2009 |
63 pages |
| Authors:
Christopher J Lamb; Matthew J Schmidt; Berit G Fitzsimmons; NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV WASHINGTON DC INST FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES
|
| Mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles offer an excellent case study for investigating the current debate over the Pentagon's approach to developing and fielding irregular warfare capabilities. MRAPs first gained prominence for their ability to protect U.S. forces from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and because the Pentagon did not deploy them en masse to Iraq until almost 5 years of fighting had passed. More recently, following extraordinary efforts to field ... |
|
| Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress |
18-May-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is currently being developed by the Army and the Marine Corps as a successor to the 11 different versions of the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) that have been in service since 1985. There are concerns about the affordability of JLTVs and its redundancy with other tactical wheeled vehicles. This report will be updated as events warrant. |
|
| The Marines' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV): Background and Issues for Congress |
02-Apr-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) is an armored amphibious vehicle program that originated two decades ago to replace the 1970s-era Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The EFV has experienced a variety of developmental difficulties, resulting in significant program delays and cost growth. While the Marine Corps and Department of Defense remain optimistic about the future of the EFV program, there continue to be major concerns about the EFV's reliability, vulnerability to ... |
|
| Affordability Challenges for DoD Weapons Systems |
Apr-2009 |
33 pages |
| Authors:
David Holm; ARMY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING COMMAND WARREN MI
|
| AGENDA: Background * Budget Outlook * Acquisition Policy Changes * Modernization Challenges * Case Example (Joint Light Tactical Vehicles) * Parting Thoughts. |
|
| Fire Protection for Military Ground Vehicles |
Apr-2009 |
8 pages |
| Authors:
Steve McCormick; ARMY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING COMMAND WARREN MI
|
| SUMMARY: Fire remains a significant risk to military ground vehicles and their crews * Fire protection improvements continue to be made on tactical, as well as combat, vehicles * Passive fire protection techniques needed to operate effectively in emerging combat conditions * Further advances are required in the following areas: external fire protection * environmentally superior extinguishing agents * smaller and lighter components * more field-supportable products. |
|
| Mitigation Systems for Confined Blast Loading - Crew Protection in Armored Vehicles |
Apr-2009 |
151 pages |
| Authors:
Katherine M Gaulke; MARYLAND UNIV COLLEGE PARK
|
| Confined blast behavior and blast mitigation structures for the protection of occupants within a confined space subjected to high explosive blast, were examined through numerical analysis and laboratory testing. The mitigating structure's weight and geometry were of particular interest since performance was targeted for inclusion within the limited interior space of an armored vehicle. Numerical analysis using eta/VPG modeling software and LS DYNA dynamic analysis software examined the effects of ... |
|
| The Army's Future Combat System (FCS): Background and Issues for Congress |
13-Mar-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The Future Combat System (FCS) is a multiyear, multibillion dollar program at the heart of the Army's transformation efforts. It is the Army's major research, development, and acquisition program consisting of 14 manned and unmanned systems tied together by an extensive communications and information network. FCS is intended to replace current systems such as the M-1 Abrams tank and the M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. The FCS program has been ... |
|
| The Effect of Values on System Development Project Outcomes |
Mar-2009 |
231 pages |
| Authors:
Daniel B Ward; NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMIN LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER HAMPTON VA
|
| To understand why organizations make certain decisions and target certain outcomes, it is useful to understand their priorities and preferences, commonly referred to as values. This research explores the relationship between the technical values held by system development teams and the operational effectiveness of the systems those teams produce. Specifically, it examines the impact of a value set called FIST (Fast, Inexpensive, Simple, Tiny) on Department of Defense (DoD) and ... |
|
| Reliability Growth of Mobile Gun System During Production Verification Test |
Mar 2009 |
11 pages |
| Authors:
Dmitry E Tananko; Sharad Kumar; John Paulson; James Ruma; N J Chang; David J Rohall; GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP STERLING HEIGHTS MI LAND SYSTEMS DIV
|
| Product verification testing (PVT) plays an important role in the verification and demonstration of key performance parameters and system reliability of autonomous and manned systems. Considerable effort was put into improving reliability of the Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) before and during PVT. During PVT for the Stryker MGS, an unprecedented reliability growth rate of 0.38 was achieved. This article describes implementation of systems engineering principles employed during the MGS ... |
|
| Closing the Gap: Training Mechanized, Infantry and Armor Marines |
20-Feb-2009 |
13 pages |
| Authors:
Lynn W Berendsen; MARINE CORPS COMMAND AND STAFF COLL QUANTICO VA
|
| The central tenet of being a Marine is that every Marine is a rifleman. Many examples exist of cooks, administrators, and mechanics picking up a rifle and defending bases and convoys and conducting limited offensive roles. Their success is based on the entry-level training all Marines receive at the Recruit Depots and the Schools of Infantry. After entry-level training, however, Marines go on to their military occupational specialty (MOS), where ... |
|
| Robotic Vehicle Control Architecture for FCS. Program Overview |
Feb-2009 |
13 pages |
| Authors:
Chris Mocnik; ARMY TANK-AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER WARREN MI VEHICLE ELECTRONICS AND ARCHITECTURE OFFICE
|
| The briefing looks at the programs TARDEC is working on to meet the needs of Future Combat Systems (FCS). These include unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and battle command software. |
|
| The Capabilities That Medium-Armored Forces Bring to the Full Spectrum of Operations |
Jan-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Susan Woodward; RAND ARROYO CENTER SANTA MONICA CA
|
| Medium-armored forces are central to the U.S. Army's vision of the Future Force, expected to combine the agility of light infantry with the greater lethality and survivability of heavy units through the Future Combat System (FCS). FCS is a networked family of systems designed to achieve information superiority on the battlefield. While the U.S. Army develops FCS, it is fielding Stryker brigade combat teams, medium-armored forces that give the current ... |
|
| The Marine's Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV): Background and Issues for Congress |
19-Dec-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) is an armored amphibious vehicle program that originated two decades ago to replace the 1970s-era Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The EFV has experienced a variety of developmental difficulties, resulting in significant program delays and cost growth. While the Marine Corps and Department of Defense remain optimistic about the future of the EFV program, there continue to be ma or cone ems about the EFV's reliability ... |
|
| Marine Corps Implementation of the Urgent Universal Needs Process for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles |
08-Dec-2008 |
79 pages |
| Authors:
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AUDITING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ARLINGTON VA
|
| At the request of the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (MC), we reviewed the MC decision making process to determine whether the decision makers responded appropriately and timely to the February 2005 Urgent Universal Need Statement (UUNS) submitted by field commanders for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)-type vehicles. After June 2005 decision by Commandant of the Marine Corps to replace all High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) in theater ... |
|
| Development of an Item Unique Identification Strategy for the Legacy Components of the US Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams Tank |
03-Dec-2008 |
106 pages |
| Authors:
Edward Y Blakiston; Carl J Punzel; Richard A Jennings; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY
|
| The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has mandated that every component that meets certain cost and management criteria in the Department of Defense's (DoD) tangible inventory must have a valid Item Unique Identification (IUID) mark by December 2010. The IUID program is expected to increase force readiness, enhance the life cycle management of assets, and provide more accurate asset valuation to achieve unqualified audit opinions on DoD financial ... |
|
| The Role of Spatial Ability in the Relationship Between Video Game Experience and Route Effectiveness Among Unmanned Vehicle Operators |
Dec-2008 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
Florian Jentsch; Thomas Fincannon; Evans; A W III; David Schuster; Joseph Keebler; UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA ORLANDO
|
| Effective route planning is essential to the successful operation of unmanned vehicles. Video game experience has been shown to affect route planning and execution, but why video game experience helps has not been addressed. One answer may be that spatial skills, necessary for route planning and execution, improve after experience with video games. The current study examines the degree to which spatial ability, specifically spatial visualization, mediates the relationship between ... |
|
| U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center Light Armor Range Complex |
Dec 2008 |
5 pages |
| Authors:
John P Rooney; ABERDEEN TEST CENTER MD
|
| The U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the U.S. Department of Defense's lead agency for land-combat, direct-fire, and live-fire vulnerability testing. Adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay and 35 miles northeast of Baltimore, ATC is a multipurpose test center with diverse capabilities and has become a world-class testing and training range that ensures American warfighters receive superior materiel and technology. One of the many testing ... |
|
| HMMWV Improvements Monster Garage(copyrighted) Program |
29-Oct-2008 |
6 pages |
| Authors:
S Burrell; J Soltesz; ARMY TANK-AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER WARREN MI
|
| The overall goal of the HMMWV Improvements Monster Garage(copyrighted) Program was to find readily accessible ways to increase payload, performance and protection. Each of these areas had been compromised over the course of time due to unanticipated threats and increased weight on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which has led to a decrease in payload and performance. The basic request from the Vice Chief of Staff of the ... |
|
| Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry (APBI), TARDEC Ground Vehicle Power & Mobility (GVPM) |
09-Oct-2008 |
18 pages |
| Authors:
Chuck Coutteau; Michael Blain; Rocky Patel; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI
|
| GVPM's mission is to provide technically sound and timely responses to the soldiers' current and future needs for technology and engineering expertise in ground vehicle power and mobility technologies. |
|
| The Use of Copulas and MPP-Based Dimension Reduction Method (DRM) to Assess and Mitigate Engineering Risk in the Army Ground Vehicle Fleet |
22-Sep-2008 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
David Gorsich; David A Lamb; Kyung K Choi; Yoojeong Noh; Ikjin Lee; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI
|
| In reliability based design optimization (RBDO) problems with correlated input variables, a joint cumulative distribution function (CDF) needs to be obtained to transform, using the Rosenblatt transformation, the correlated input variables into independent standard Gaussian variables for the inverse reliability analysis. However, a true joint CDF requires infinite number of test data to be obtained, so in this paper, a copula is used, which models a joint CDF only using ... |
|
| The Marines' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV): Background and Issues for Congress |
10-Sep-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) is an armored amphibious vehicle program that originated two decades ago to replace the 197Os-era Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The EFV has experienced a variety of developmental difficulties, resulting in significant program delays and cost growth. While the Marine Corps and Department of Defense remain optimistic about the future of the EFV program, there continue to be major concerns about the EFV's reliability and escalating ... |
|
| A Comparison of Soldier Performance in a Moving Command Vehicle Under Manned, Teleoperated, and Semi-Autonomous Robotic Mine Detector System Control Modes |
Sep-2008 |
52 pages |
| Authors:
David R Scribner; David Dahn; ARMY RESEARCH LAB ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND MD HUMAN RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE
|
| Soldiers will be required to perform missions using remote technology with increasing frequency as the U.S. Army transforms. Soldiers will be asked to carry out missions that will require them to be at greater standoff distance at the cost of degraded sensory information and resulting limited system performance. Historically, teleoperated systems have had capabilities that are twice the error rate and time required to perform a mission. This is due ... |
|
| Status of Training Vehicles for U.S. Ground Forces Deploying in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom |
06-Aug-2008 |
29 pages |
| Authors:
Joseph R Oliva; Marlene Cruz-Freire; Matthew D Schwersenska; Loretta L Unger; Michael N Hepler; Deanne B Curry; Hillary J Smith; Melissa M Quealy; Timothy M Wimette; Robert F Prinzbach; Liz Scullin; INSPECTOR GENERAL DEPT OF DEFENSE ARLINGTON VA
|
| Our overall audit objective was to determine whether U.S. ground forces supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom were receiving the training necessary to meet operational requirements. Specifically for this project, we determined whether the training equipment at Combat Training Centers (CTCs) was sufficient for ground forces training in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Competing requirements for equipment in theater as well as units being reset for redeployment have created challenges for Combat ... |
|
| Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress |
01-Aug-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Andrew Feickert; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| In late 2007, the Department of Defense (DOD) launched a major procurement initiative to replace most uparmored High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) in Iraq with Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles by FY2009. MRAPs have been described as providing significantly more protection against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) than uparmored HMMWVs. DOD's decision not to procure MRAP IIs, MRAP logistical and readiness concerns, and MRAP rollover accidents could be potential policy issues for ... |
|
| Mobility-Dependent Motion Planning for High Speed Robotic Vehicles |
25-Jul-2008 |
73 pages |
| Authors:
Karl Iagnemma; MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE DEPT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
|
| The ultimate objective of this work is to design planning and control architectures that enable autonomous vehicles to operate in open terrain without sacrificing speed and maneuverability. To this end, we develop mobility metrics for UGVs operating off-road at high-speed regimes, explore optimal algorithms to derive optimal paths for UGVs, and propose a framework for motion planning. |
|
| Using High Performance Computing to Realize a System-Level RBDO for Military Ground Vehicles |
14-Jul-2008 |
8 pages |
| Authors:
David Gorsich; David A Lamb; TACOM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER WARREN MI
|
| Reliability Based Design Optimization (RBDO) is a process of optimizing under uncertainty to obtain a reliable (in the probabilistic sense) optimum for a design, which is robust under the expected variability inherent in realizing the design. In this case, we are optimizing the design of a ground vehicle to reduce weight while maintaining or improving durability. Like any optimization, it is best done on a system level. When optimizing under ... |
|
| Safe Operation of Weaponized Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Systems. Test Operations Procedure (TOP) |
08-Jul-2008 |
25 pages |
| Authors:
ABERDEEN TEST CENTER MD
|
| The procedures in this Test Operating Procedure (TOP) describe the actions needed to test teleoperated, weaponized Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) performance and safety. This document focuses on the unique aspects of testing weaponized vehicles that operate via remote teleoperation. |
|
| Navigation and Hazard Avoidance for High-Speed Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Rough Terrain |
07-Jul-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Karl Iagnemma; MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE
|
| Many applications require unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to travel at high speeds on sloped, natural terrain. Control of UGVs in these scenarios is difficult due to the inherent complexity in modeling terrain effect on vehicle motion. This research has studied methods for control of high speed UGVs through the use of simplified models of UGV dynamics and terrain interaction Simulation and experimental results gathered during this work has demonstrated the ... |
|
| Optimizing Terminal Conditions Using Geometric Guidance for Low-Control Authority Munitions |
01-Jun-2008 |
122 pages |
| Authors:
Paul C Tisa; MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE DEPT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
|
| Small munition effectiveness is a function of miss distance from the target and ability to achieve a steep flight path angle at the target. Many small guided munitions have limited control authority to achieve these competing objectives due to system hardware tradeoffs. This thesis develops guidance algorithm modifications that demonstrate consistent improvement in achieving these objectives over previously used methods with changes only to the flight software and not the ... |
|
| Army AL&T, April-June 2008 |
Jun-2008 |
69 pages |
| Authors:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY (ACQUISITION LOGISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY) FORT BELVOIR VA
|
| With this issue, we are showcasing the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) in a series of articles designed to give you a better understanding of just how far this program has progressed since System Development and Demonstration began in 2003. One may think that FCS is only about providing future capabilities to our Soldiers, but FCS-like capabilities are protecting our Soldiers and giving them a decisive advantage on today's battlefield. ... |
|
| Advanced Collaborative System Optimization Modeler (ACSOM) (A.K.A. Armored Combat System Optimization Modeler) and Search, Explore and Learn (SEaL) Extension |
Jun-2008 |
20 pages |
| Authors:
Doug Rogers; Greg Hartman; Steve Rapp; GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP STERLING HEIGHTS MI LAND SYSTEMS DIV
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| OVERVIEW: ACSOM Whole-system Trade Capabilities * ACSOM's Application Example - Large Program Trade Study * Extensions to Force on Force * Enhanced Capability (SEaL) - Large Bid Program Example. |
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Combat Vehicles
