Accelerate Joint Collaborative Partnerships Edition

Joint Collaborative Partnerships Edition

L e a d · I n n o v a t e · I n t e g r a t e · D e l i v e r

Joining Forces To Deliver new capabiliTies

Joint Collaborative Partnerships Edition


Joining Forces To Deliver new capabiliTies

Click here to

find out how!

SUBSCRIBE

Shortly after my appointment as TARDEC Director five years ago, the Department of Defense challenged us to make this organization a center of technological excel-lence for the ground vehicle community. I knew from the first day that no one person or organization could do it alone. Excellence for our organization and success for our warfighters mean it’s absolutely essential to partner, col-laborate and align resources.

Partners are indispensible in achieving the true integra-tion of people, processes and products necessary to de-liver great capabilities. Integration is something that is embedded into every aspect of our mission as we develop and sustain the right technology solutions for all manned and unmanned ground systems. As integration experts, we have been able to form alliances that allow us to com-bine the best talents, incubate the best ideas and build the best possible systems for the Soldiers and Marines who fight for our Nation’s interests.

This issue of accelerate Magazine focuses on the produc-tive partnerships and joint programs that have helped us achieve more as a cohesive Life Cycle Management Com-mand (LCMC) than any of us could have achieved work-ing independently. Living in a true enterprise means not only taking advantage of each other's skills and abilities, but also learning from our experiences and hearing differ-ent perspectives so we can define the approaches and strat-egies that are the best of the best. This method would only be possible with the involvement of our industry, academ-ic and other government organization partners working in collaboration with each other. As an enterprise, we’re reaching new heights by aligning resources, prioritizing and organizing as a single unit.

To achieve this unity, we are closely examining how we do business and creating a joint approach for planning and process development. We know this is how we can provide the best possible support and why the work of three particular groups is so important in making TARDEC an effective partner:

• Concepts, Analysis, Systems Simulation and Integra-tion (CASSI) supports computer-generated analyses of systems during the concepting phase to drive decisions for the Army and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).

• The Center for Ground Vehicle Develop-ment and Integration (CGVDI) is the sin-gular point of contact for the Program Ex-ecutive Offices (PEOs) and Program Managers needing engineering and integration service support. CGVDI had its greatest technical accomplishment to date with the design, integration and production of joint solutions for the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) fleet.

• Ground Domain Planning and Integration (GDP&I) is building repeatable processes to analyze research and development, build technology programs, critically evaluate our portfolio and monitor execution through a tailored stage-gating process. The GDP&I group’s duties include overseeing the science and technology portfolio from requirements through project execu-tion and delivery.

To govern these pieces and synthesize the information into a cohesive strategy, we formed the Joint Center for Ground Vehicles (JCGV). The JCGV is responsible for ensuring there is no duplication of effort and, ultimately, for manag-ing and improving our responses to Soldier needs. Devel-oping a comprehensive plan for near- and long-term needs will primarily help the Army’s TACOM LCMC and the USMC’s PEO Land Systems focus jointly on the ground ve-hicle systems we deliver and the business processes we use.

These changes, while admittedly challenging at times, were absolutely the right thing to do. We’ve positioned ourselves to be an effective partner as we collaborate on projects that will maximize our ability to deliver the best vehicle systems possible. We should all feel proud of our ability to put the mission first and work cooperatively, making the best use of resources and providing the technological superiority our Soldiers and Marines expect.

Grace M. Bochenek, Ph.D.TARDEC Director

The importance of partnerships and working as a vehicle enterprise

J o i n t P a r t n e r s h i p s E d i t i o n


On the cover: The 3-dimensional cubes depict TARDEC laboratory facilities and the corresponding product or system fielded after testing was completed.

TARDEC’s laboratory facilities provide a home for the Army’s advanced science and technology research, demonstration, development and life cycle engineering. TARDEC labs have partnered with other major defense laboratories, industry and academia to integrate technology onto the Army’s and other services’ ground vehicle fleets.

Michael I. RoddinEditor-in-Chief

On the Cover: When Marines in Afghanistan needed to cross the surging Helmand River, TARDEC engineers and TACOM's New Equipment Training team worked with embedded soldiers to quickly develop a solution. See related article on page 46.


14 18

1

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

4

J o i n t C o l l a b o r a t i v e P a r t n e r s h i p s E d i t i o n


34 Doing the Heavy liftingTim Brohl & Michael I. Roddin

39 UsMc, army and onr look aheadMike Halloran & Debbie DiCesare

42 Making the gradeJohn Niemeyer & David Cobane

46 connections build bridges Brian Hornbeck, Kenneth Hare & Robert Marchese

52 corrosion-Daniel Clayton Cummins

57 The life of a part-Scott Porter

60 Jumping battery productionDavid Skalny & Elise Libby

4 Q&a with scott Davis, peo gcsMichael I. Roddin, Bob Van Enkenvoort & Lori Grein

10 partnership road Map-Lori Grein

14 Mobile Messaging-Jeff DeWitt

18 Mrap’s Digital backboneCurtis Adams

22 Trailer TechAnna Wojciechowski & Chris Willams

26 center collaboration conquers challenges - Executive Enterprise Establishes Ground Vehicle Systems Governance and Institutionalization - Daniel Pierson

30 a Joint effort - Daniel Pierson

26

DISCLAIMER: accelerate is published by TARDEC. Articles express the written views of the authors and not necessarily official opinion of the Department of the Army (DoA). If articles are reprinted, please cite accelerate, the author and photographer.

Reference herein to any specific commercial company, product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or DoA. The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or DoA and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to U.S. Army TARDEC, 6501 E. 11 Mile Road, Bldg. 200A, RDTA-ST, Mail Stop #206, Warren, MI, 48397-5000.

46

56

88

64

64 engine of innovationPaul Skalny & John Rzepecki

68 Teamwork Drives victoriesMichael I. Roddin & Dan Desmond

72 Detroit Down UnderMichael I. Roddin & Dan Desmond

76 power plan-Chris Williams

81 stewards of energyMichael I. Roddin & Steve Ball

86 rpm — news in brief -Dan Desmond

88 Five Things about: M-aTv Dan Desmond

68

eDiTorial aDvisorY boarD conTribUTing eDiTors eDiTorial sTaFFMichael i. roddinEditor-in-Chief

Jerry aliottaWriter/Editor

rachel FerhadsonProjectManager

bob van enkenvoortManagingEditor

chris williamsSeniorWriter/Editor

Dan DesmondWriter/Editor

Matthew sablanWriter/Editor

brian FerenczGraphicDesign

Dr. grace M. bochenekTARDECDirector

Mg Kurt steinTACOMLCMCCommandingGeneral

Mg John bartleyPEOIntegration

scott J. DavisPEOGCS

Kevin FaheyPEOCS&CSS

william TaylorPEOLandSystems

Magid athnasiosExecutiveDirector,EngineeringBusinessGroup

Thomas MathesExecutiveDirector,ProductDevelopmentBusinessGroup

Jennifer HitchcockExecutiveDirector,ResearchandTechnologyIntegrationBusinessGroup

Dr. David gorsichChiefScientist

paul skalnyDirector,NationalAutomotiveCenter(NAC)

Dr. Jim overholtSeniorResearchScientistinRobotics

Marta TomkiwChiefofStaff

Derhun sandersTARDECAssociateDirectorforCommunicationsandOutreach

Michael i. roddinEditor-in-Chief

lori greinPAO,PEOGCS

Jeff DewittProjectLead,TARDECCGVDI

curtis adamsAssociateDirector,TARDECProgramIntegration

anna wojciechowskiJRaDSJCTDTechnicalManager,CASSI–SystemDemonstrator’sJRaDSTeamLeader

Daniel piersonUSMCDeputyProgramExecutiveOfficer,PEOLS

Tim brohlProjectLeadEngineer,CGVDI

Mike HalloranDirectorofScienceandTechnology,PEOLS

Debbie DicesareAssociateDirector,GroundDomainPlanning&Integration

brian HornbeckDeputyAssociateDirector,ForceProjectionTechnology

Kenneth HareTACOMLCMCBranchChief,ForceProjectionNewEquipmentTraining

robert MarcheseTACOMLCMCSystemAcquisitionManagerfortheIRBandBridgeAdaptorPallet

Daniel clayton cumminsTARDECSummerHireEngineeringAid,EngineeringTechnician

scott porterSeniorCorrosionEngineer,TARDECMaterials,CorrosionandEnvironmentalTeam

MaJ (ret.) John niemeyerTARDECGeneralEngineerandMechanicalCountermineTeamsProgramManager

David cobaneOperationsAnalyst,TARDECQuickReactionCell

David skalnyDeputyTeamLeader,EnergyStorage,RTIBusinessGroup,GVPMDirectorate

elise libbyChemicalEngineer,TARDEC’sEnergyStorageTeam,RTIBusinessGroup,GVPMDirectorate

paul skalnyDirector,NAC

John rzepeckiTARDECPowertrainTeamLeader

steve ballPAO,U.S.ArmyGarrison—DetroitArsenal

72 76

3

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

It’s said that “technology makes things possible; people col-laborating makes it happen.” This edition’s theme is just that — people collaborating across organizational boundaries to develop innovative technology that makes things possible for Soldier and Marine ground vehicle systems and equipment.

Innovative technology, more specifically — innovation — leads to better, more effective products, processes, technologies or ideas that are accepted into the market place, governments or society. Innovation, when “partnered” with technology, signi-fies significant positive change to the product or service being offered, not just incremental changes, updates or enhance-ments. When our engineers and technologists say “new and improved,” they mean it!

Collaborative partnerships are “mutually beneficial formal relationships” between two or more parties to pursue agreed-upon goals while remaining independent organizations. The process leads to new knowledge that can be leveraged to meet either the individual organization or collaborative enterprise’s overarching goals. The partners agree to combine their knowl-edge, expertise and resources to create new, innovative prod-ucts employing the latest technologies, processes, tools and best business practices.

Collaboration is crucially important for providing user-focused support, well-integrated systems-engineered solutions, and synchronized, continuous modernization initiatives designed to enhance vehicle system capabilities and interoperability. The pay-off is more efficient ground vehicles that meet the most exacting performance, safety and reliability standards. Accord-ing to TACOM Life Cycle Management Command Deputy to the Commanding General Mike Viggato, technological inno-vation is more than just finding “high-tech” solutions — it’s about thoroughly integrating the right solutions through in-stitutionalized systems using “collaborative enterprise-level planning and portfolio alignment to achieve the best value in ground systems acquisition programs for warfighters.”

This insight is reinforced in the interview with Program Ex-ecutive Officer Scott Davis who shares his perspectives and priorities for managing combat vehicle development and lead-ing systems integration for Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems. Further, U.S. Marine Corps Deputy Program Executive Officer for PEO Land Systems Dan Pierson remarks that alliances such as the Joint Center for Ground Ve-hicles provide “the centralized governance needed to manage the enterprise portfolio collaboratively, synchronize technol-ogy development, and establish common goals and principles, drive efficiencies that will reduce costs, align resources and ini-tiatives, and foster open communication.” He drives this point home in two articles he authored for this special edition.

Managing complexityA decade of overseas contingency operations has taught the military ground vehicle community’s engineers that they can’t go it alone. Because the best-engineered automotive capabili-ties often lead to increased systems complexity and interopera-bility challenges, collaborative partnerships with our industry, academic and government associates helps resolve potential design integrity and reliability issues. By tapping into our part-ners’ existing data, test results, control algorithms, systems analyses and leading-edge modeling and simulation (M&S) tools, our engineers can better manage new technology before it’s integrated onto military vehicle systems. Contributions by Scott Porter (prototype modeling) and Jeff DeWitt (mobile messaging) clearly articulate the importance of M&S in shared systems evaluation and delivery.

In their Connections Build Bridges article, Brian Hornbeck, Kenneth Hare and Robert Marchese illustrate how document-ing user requirements and validating assumptions up front help engineers rapidly assess system validation while anticipat-ing potential operational and environmental impacts, taking a multi-service approach to find solutions to overcome real-world obstacles rapidly.

Delivering new capabilitiesThrough collaborative enterprise-level partnering, systems engineers focus on how to standardize sub-systems and com-ponent commonality across a variety of platforms. By tapping into industry, government and academic expertise and capa-bilities, engineers are creating expansive contextual views of political, environmental, operational, economic, technological and interactive systems considerations that must be addressed for the system or platform being developed, acquired, modi-fied, maintained or disposed of during that system or plat-form’s life cycle. “Must read” articles by Anna Wojciechowski, Curtis Adams, Lori Grein, Paul Skalny and John Rzepecki, Mike Halloran and Debbie DiCesare, show collaborative sys-tems engineering in action.

No one organization, company or team can possibly manage, integrate or anticipate the technological advancements being developed globally. By partnering with the innovation leaders in industry, academia and other government agencies, this en-terprise can continue to deliver advanced technology solutions to its warfighters, bridging potential capability gaps before ve-hicle systems and equipment are fielded.


collaborative Technology — bridging the capabilities gap through innovation

4

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

scoTT DavisAs the executive director that keeps ground combat vehicles in the fight, Scott Davis has to keep a constant eye on mobility, capability, survivability and adaptability for the life cycles of the vehicles that transport warfighters through the full spectrum of operations.By Michael I. Roddin, Bob Van Enkenvoort and Lori Grein

As Army vehicles are developed, built, tested and fielded, Project Management Offices provide the engineering, technology,

operational support and continuous improvements to keep those vehicles the best in the world for years to come. The Program Executive Office

(PEO) for Ground Combat Systems (GCS) is managed by Program Executive Officer, Scott J. Davis. PEO GCS leads the mission for developing, acquiring and supporting modernized and affordable systems with common integrated capabilities — always focused on the needs of Soldiers and Marines. PEO GCS Project Management Offices are comprised of the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Ground Combat Vehicle, and Robotic Systems Joint Project Office. Systems include the Abrams Main Battle Tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Paladin / Field Artillery Ammunition Supply vehicle, M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, M88 Recovery Vehicle, Armored Knight Family of Vehicles (FoV), Stryker FoV, Ground Combat Vehicle, Robo tics and Unmanned Ground Systems.

Davis was selected for Senior Executive Service in November 2005. As the Program Executive Officer for GCS, he is responsible for managing the portfolio of ground combat vehicle modernization programs for the United States Army. Davis previously served as the Deputy Program Executive Officer, PEO Integration, and was accountable for the organization and management of acquisition programs designed to support Brigade Combat Team (BCT) modernization.

The top three priorities for PEO GCS Program Executive Officer Scott Davis are force protection, the capacity to house the future network and countering obsolescence. (U.S. Army PEO GCS Photo.)

An Army Reserve Officer, Davis is currently assigned to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology) and has held a variety of positions from platoon leader through battalion executive officer.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Master of Science degree in industrial engineering from Wayne State University.

Editors from accelerate recently held a conversation with Davis about his plans and aspirations for equipping the force with the most advanced ground vehicles, and where he sees the modernization effort going in the future.

accelerate Magazine: The rapidly changing battlefield conditions our warfighters face in Iraq and Afghanistan have accelerated the need for new technologies to be developed, integrated, tested and then fielded much faster than during previous conflicts. In general, how has PEO GCS responded to Soldiers’ urgent needs and emerging requirements?

Scott Davis: The LCMC [Life Cycle Management Command] community as a whole has done an outstanding job in addressing key issues, primarily in the area of force protection, in response to the rapidly changing threat perspectives that we face in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Because our forces today are far more dispersed on the battlefield than ever before, we have constantly had to adapt and improve the capabilities integrated into ground vehicle systems. For example, we have increased sensing capabilities and, in many cases, the network or beyond-line-of-sight communications. We have also had a fair amount of margin

inside the current platforms but have used up the size, weight and power outputs for these systems.

As we look to the future, we must embrace the concept of building in the additional margins up front to make sure that we have long-term growth capacity on these vehicle systems for several years. Although the growth capacity varies depending on the vehicle type and mission requirements, I would say 20 percent is probably not an unreasonable, unrealistic margin to build into future ground vehicle systems. As we focus more analysis into power, weight or mobility requirements, we will find that the margins will be different across the board. One might be 10 percent; one might be 15 percent, but I believe, in general, we are probably looking to hit a margin around 20 percent.

Legacy programs have taught us we need to design in more of a growth margin from the beginning of our programs. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, for example, sustained a weight growth of about 25 percent before we entered the A2 program.

5

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, Afghanistan - Marines with Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), work through the night to conduct maintenance on a tank. The M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank is 70 tons of armored power that requires up to 10 hours of maintenance for every hour it operates. (Photo by Cpl Marco Mancha.)

At that point, we changed the engine, transmission, final drives and torsion bars to accommodate the growth to bring us from years of conflict to the present. If you look at the continually emerging requirements, the Bradley has gone through almost another cycle of 25-percent growth in weight and other capabilities, so this scenario implies that there is a need to go through another systems engineering iteration. The Abrams tank, on the other hand, grew about 28 percent over that same time period. It didn’t have a significant upgrade in engine, transmission or suspension components, but because it’s undergone a 28-percent growth rate, we are at that same decision point of having to upgrade the platform to accommodate new programs of record in which the Army has already invested, like the JTRS [Joint Tactical Radio System].

accelerate: Since you’ve taken over as PEO, what has your organization accomplished that gives you the most pride?

SD: Two successes are amazing to me. For one, we have started with a significant effort to upgrade survivability with the new Stryker Double V-Hull [DVH]. Stryker has been the principal platform within our portfolio that has been sent forward to Afghanistan. Not only have we improved areas relative to IED protection, but we have added armor, improved the suspension, modernized the braking system and changed the seat design in order to take Stryker to another level from a survivability perspective. The technology fusion and capability integration took place rapidly on that vehicle platform. We have successfully delivered approximately 200 Stryker DVH vehicles to Afghanistan, with additional systems slated to arrive shortly.

The other thing I am really proud of is the collaboration between the GVC Project Management Office and TARDEC. It’s the first time I have ever seen the PM and TARDEC collaborate by taking the requirements document and synthesizing it into a high-resolution design concept. That has allowed us to take a look at more accurate and detailed cost information than we have in the past, addressing where we think there are integration issues and technology challenges.

accelerate: What specific technologies are you looking to integrate into the current fleet to reduce gross vehicle weight so you can build those margins into future vehicle platforms? SD: If we look at the vehicle weight, armor is the biggest element, followed by the chassis and propulsion system. To address the armor issue,

6

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, fire M-109A6 Paladin howitzers at Contingency Operating Site in Marez, Iraq, March 2011. These vehicles can fire up to four rounds per minute and then move out, giving them “shoot and scoot” capability to minimize the threat of counterfire. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Terence Ewings.)

we are constantly looking for new materials, or a new mix of composite materials, to help lighten armor. We are also designing into the GCV the ability to remove and replace armor packages to adapt to various threat environments. As the technologies and materials improve, we can have significant weight savings with similar protection levels. Having systems that can adapt across the full spectrum of operations will be the key to our overall success.

accelerate: Would it be safe to say that you’re very brigade combat team [BCT] focused?

SD: Yes. When considering vehicles in the context of a brigade, some may shy away and say that this is just FCS [Future Combat Systems] recycled. The answer is “No,” but that is a facet of FCS that I think is key.

The analogy I like to use is simple. When looking at a football team, the coach doesn’t send the receivers off to build their playbook, the running backs to build their playbook and the lineman to build their playbook. They work together as a team to make sure that all the roles mesh — the coach and quarterback know that the play can be accomplished because they all have the same play calls and they all have the same interfaces.

I don’t think we want to manage these systems like we did FCS. We have a much better understanding of what the overall brigade architecture looks like, so we can design systems that take into consideration the additional technologies that will be needed across BCT formations as they evolve and mature. That is what we are trying to drive toward as we look at the PEO GCS portfolio. We are looking at GCS in the context of a brigade combat team and what is command interoperable across the fleet.

accelerate: Given the fact that we’re still at war and it’s been 10-plus years of addressing emerging battlefield requirements, PEO GCS has been heavily involved in identifying and resolving capability gaps for our troops at the tip of the spear. What technological innovations are you developing to continue supporting currently fielded vehicles and vehicle systems that will comprise the Army’s future tactical and combat fleets down the road?

SD: When looking at technological innovations, we want to integrate mature technologies that can be rapidly developed. We are looking for capabilities that have actually been demonstrated. As we move forward in the GCV development and other modernization programs across our portfolio, we are looking at things that have the ability to aggregate functions so we can reduce unnecessary or burdensome weight. One example is the multitude of computer boxes in any one of the ground vehicle platforms. There is

no technological reason why we can’t combine some of those capabilities to reduce weight and free up space. In many cases, it is due to the way we bring functionality to vehicles, resulting in small computer boxes all over the place, creating a real integration challenge. From a power management standpoint, if 10 boxes are needed for vehicle computing today — with every box requiring an extra power supply, an extra aluminum enclosure and a bunch of cables and connectors — then all become parasitic weight in SWaP [space, weight and power]. If we can aggregate some of those boxes and functions, then we can remove the redundancies and really get to the critical challenges which are the core processing and memory that we need inside the system.

accelerate: All these “boxes” create thermal management issues for your systems integrators and the vehicle crews that man these vehicles.

SD: Correct. The fewer boxes we have to treat and condition — especially as we move toward active

7

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Army Stryker armored vehicles from the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, prepare to refuel prior to a patrolling mission. Scott Davis’s PEO GCS manages Stryker’s life cycle. (DoD photo by PFC Kimberly Hackbarth, U.S. Army.)

cooling systems, whether they be liquid cooled or electronically cooled — the easier it is to control and accommodate thermal management inside the vehicle.

accelerate: You have already mentioned several challenges you’re facing with payload, protection and performance. What are you anticipating, or where is the Army directing ground vehicle development in terms of what they want to see for GCVs immediately, in the near future and then 10-15 years out?

SD: To sum it up, our goal is to ensure vehicles are relevant so they can support both new and existing capabilities. With the emergence of JTRS and some of the crew counter-IED [improvised explosive device] developments, it gets down to relevancy. The other thing that has been elevated — it’s always been a consideration, but it’s more important now than ever — is the affordability piece. Defense budgets will stabilize or decrease. We need to look at the requirements holistically and balance

those across the portfolio in order to come up with affordable solutions.

accelerate: At the 2010 Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS) in Dearborn, MI, you spoke about operating budgets being reduced and constrained moving forward. Right now, if you had to list what your top three GCS priorities are, what would they be?

SD: My top three priorities are force protection, the capacity to house the future network and countering obsolescence. Hands down, our major investment has to be force protection. What’s really important is providing the crew protection against the wide spectrum of threats that can occur on the battlefield. We are willing to give up, to a degree, the survivability of the platform to gain force protection when Soldiers’ lives are at stake.

The next highest priority is the capacity to accommodate one of the Army’s top priorities, the future

network, and other systems that will help to counter emerging threats.

Another priority to consider is obsolescence, because we know it will happen with all of our current electronically based systems. The question is, “How do we design these systems in a way that mitigates the impact of obsolescence when it occurs, and how do we do that across the full spectrum?” Let’s go back to the modularity piece and think about configuring new systems and modifying or modernizing existing systems to be able to add or remove things as the mission dictates. Theoretically, in a perfect world, we would be able to add and remove armor, add and remove weapons, change the projectiles that they fire and even swap sensors. Having the “hooks” to reconfigure the mission packages is the key to eliminating obsolescence and facilitating better and quicker integration.

accelerate: You mentioned obsolescence. What do you anticipate your role is going to be with recap/

8

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Soldiers with 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) train with an M3A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle by firing 25 mm practice rounds at the Besmaya Range Complex at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Wasit, Iraq. The 3rd ACR was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn. PEO GCS’s Heavy Brigade Combat Team manages the life cycles of more than 32,600 platforms, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Charles M. Willingham.)

reset when the vehicles start coming back from theater? We know the TACOM LCMC has the logistics and sustainability piece, but from technology integration and systems engineering standpoint, what will PEO GCS’s role be in that process?SD: The Bradley and Abrams fleets

have been recapped fairly extensively. If we look at the active Abrams fleet today, its average fleet age is about 2½ years. The average fleet age of a Bradley is about 3½ years. Both of these systems are quite old by design, but the reason the average ages are so low is there have been a large number of vehicle systems recapitalized to zero age, zero miles when redeployed from Iraq. The fleet is also relatively young from a maintenance perspective. As we move forward with new opportunities in taking the Bradley, Abrams and Stryker vehicles through recap, it’s an ideal time to apply upgrades to recover some of the design and SWaP margins. This way, we are only taking the platform away from the warfighter one time. It does not make sense to bring it back and rebuild it to zero age, zero miles with all the same old stuff when we have the opportunity to add new and modernized gear.

accelerate: You work very closely with your collaborative partners here, in industry and academia. You also rely on the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) for a lot of your systems engineering integration. How do you plan on leveraging RDECOM’s research development and engineering centers (RDECs) in the future to help you achieve your mission and field the best ground vehicle systems for our warfighters?

SD: We rely on TARDEC and the other RDECOM assets for staff augmentation to support our PM [project management] staffs with the engineering and systems integration that is required up front in designing new programs. More importantly, we rely on TARDEC and other RDEC subject-matter and organizational experts to assist us when we are in the development and execution of programs through the contractor’s phase.

To give you an example, if the PM is working on a new engine, we can direct that capability or those requirements to TARDEC and utilize the propulsion laboratory or propulsion SMEs [subject-matter experts] to perform contractor reviews, contribute to design reviews, perform risk assessments and develop alternative approaches. We leverage and rely on their organizational expertise.

accelerate: What defining point would you like to make to our readership?

SD: My vision is to move toward common solutions across vehicle systems — to get to the point where Bradley, Abrams, Stryker and the Ground Combat Vehicle have a high degree of functional commonality between them. I know that we are challenged by a variety of things in accomplishing that, but it is the vision I have put out there, a “stretch goal” if you will. I would like to dramatically

reduce the logistics footprint and, with common standardized systems, allow us to invest time and energy to improve the entire portfolio. In the spirit of achieving the efficiencies and operational capabilities which the Department of the Army has prioritized, this is a huge opportunity to save money and stretch our taxpayer dollars while benefitting the warfighter. It has far more potential for a return on benefits than most of the process improvements we have examined.

9

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

AUTHOR BIOS:MicHael i. roDDin is the accelerate Magazine and GVSET News Editor-in-Chief. He holds B.S. degrees in English and journalism from the University of Maine and an M.S. in marketing from the University of Southern California. Roddin is a former Army Advertising Program Manager and 3-time Army Keith L. Ware Journalism Award recipient. In 2005, he was selected by the Secretary of the Army for Editor-of-the-Year honors.

bob van enKenvoorT is the accelerate Magazine and GVSET News Managing Editor. He provides contract support to TARDEC’s Strategic Communications team. Van Enkenvoort holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and has edited award-winning newspapers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa for nearly 25 years.

lori grein is the Public Affairs Officer for the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems. Experienced as a correspondent for Army publications, she has composed numerous award-winning nominations and has excelled in high-level event coordination and management. Grein holds a B.S. degree and is a graduate of the Defense Information School for Public Affairs.

“My vision is to move toward common solutions across vehicle systems — to get to the point where Bradley, Abrams, Stryker and the Ground Combat Vehicle have a high degree of functional commonality between them ... I would like to dramatically reduce the logistics footprint and, with common standardized systems, allow us to invest time and energy to improve the entire portfolio.”

10

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Partners in the ground systems domain know what is needed for the Army to modernize its combat vehicle fleet and meet warfighter needs — Teamwork.By Lori Grein

A 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) Soldier readies his M1A2 Abrams tank for a live-fire exercise at the Besmaya Range Complex, Forward Operating Base Hammer, Wasit, Iraq, Jan. 10, 2011. The 3rd ACR is providing heavy armor support for Operation New Dawn. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Charles M. Willingham.)

parTnersHip roaD Map

The Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) partners with the Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and the military and civilian science and technology (S&T) communities to leverage resources to support the Army’s modernization efforts.

“We strive to be good stewards and share best practices to maximize efficiency,” remarked PEO GCS Program Executive Officer Scott J. Davis. “We rely on teamwork, extensive planning and partnerships for success when developing new, advanced technologies for the warfighter.”

Integrated planning committees, like the Ground Systems Integration Domain (GSID) led by TARDEC under the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), have been established to provide a systematic approach for analyzing PEO capabilities that meet joint warfighter needs.

PEO and Project Management Office deliverables, as outlined in modernization planning briefs and data calls, serve as road maps for the planning committee. Completed analysis summaries are also submitted and include the purpose of analysis, type of analysis — such as trade studies, product improvement

11

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“We strive to be good stewards and share best practices to maximize efficiency. We rely on teamwork, extensive planning and partnerships for success when developing new, advanced technologies for the warfighter.”

— Scott J. Davis Program Executive Officer PEO GCS

U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, move their Stryker Mobile Gun System into position near Taji, Iraq. TARDEC’s M&S team (CASSI-Analytics) is working with PEO GCS to provide predictive analysis and parametric evaluations to improve Stryker vehicle performance, survivability, sustainability and lethality. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Venessa Hernandez.)

studies, concept development and system integration analysis, and modeling and simulation (M&S) — gaps in analysis and outcomes.

Then all of RDECOM’s Systems Integration Domains (SIDs) and Technology Focus Teams engage in developing a core project portfolio review. Warfighter needs, as defined by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s Army Capabilities and Integration Center, Centers of Excellence and Capability Manager, are compared

against investment plans to check alignment between RDECOM’s nearly $2 billion annual S&T funding lines and the gaps in deliverables. Functional solutions and technological responses are shaped, presented and evaluated, and a Program Objective Memorandum is drafted through Technology Transition Agreements to resource programs appropriately.

“The GSID helps us leverage resources toward priorities in order to meet the emerging needs of

ground combat systems,” Deputy Program Executive Officer GCS Dr. Paul Rogers noted. “GSID serves as an advocate for new technologies from across the research and development (R&D) community.”

TARDEC also assists PEO GCS in efficiently transitioning mature technologies, fabricating survivability enhancements, augmenting engineering support and evaluating ground vehicle designs.

Currently, TARDEC’s M&S team (Concepts, Analysis, System Simulation and Integration-Analytics) is working with PEO GCS to provide predictive analysis and parametric evaluations for the

12

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment marshal a Stryker armored vehicle into a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for intra-theater transport from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The Stryker family of vehicles’ mobility and other capabilities make it a formidable addition to the Army’s arsenal of combat platforms. (U.S. Army photos by SGT David John Nunn.)

“The GSID helps us to leverage resources toward priorities in order to meet the emerging needs of ground combat systems. GSID serves as an advocate for new technologies from across the R&D community.”

— Dr. Paul Rogers Deputy Program Executive Officer GCS

U.S. Army SGT Lonnie Chackan, 402nd Brigade Support Battalion, adjusts a remote weapons system on a Stryker armored vehicle during Operation Helmand Spider in the Badula Qulp section of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. PEO GCS relies on extensive teamwork, planning and partnerships when developing new, advanced technologies for Army combat vehicle systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Efren Lopez.)

Stryker vehicle platform. Based on the results, models can be adjusted to simulate realistic situations.“We provide a risk reduction for the PMs by analyzing designs and platform performance,” explained TARDEC Associate Director for M&S Alfred Grein. “PMs then have the data to make potential design changes to increase survivability of the vehicles prior to going to live-fire testing, which can result in better protection for our warfighters and a significant cost savings.”

TARDEC Research and Technology Integration (RTI) Business Group Director Jennifer Hitchcock describes an additional benefit of the partnership.

“TARDEC serves as a neutral third-party to validate information from the OEM [original equipment manufacturer] to the PM,” Hitchcock said. “We act as an ‘honest broker’ to ensure the government is getting what they asked for and what they require.”

“It’s all about the warfighter,” Davis said. “Modernizing systems is an investment in our warfighters’ future. It only makes sense to utilize the best available resources to maximize efficiencies and leverage synergy with our partners so funds are directed to providing our Soldiers and Marines with world-class, affordable ground combat systems.”

PEO GCS and TARDEC both reside at the Detroit Arsenal. The Joint Center for Ground Vehicles unites the ground combat community by including PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS) as well as the Marine’s PEO Land Systems S&T and R&D efforts. The location allows engineers to collaborate face-to-face and respond faster to PM needs, while eliminating travel costs and freeing up resources to support higher priority needs.

13

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“TARDEC serves as a neutral third-party to validate information from the OEM to the PM. We act as an ‘honest broker’ to ensure the government is getting what they asked for and what they require.”

— Jennifer Hitchcock Director, TARDEC Research and Technology Integration Business Group

U.S. Army M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) Commander SSG Thomas Leyva, Alpha Troop, 4th Squadron, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, maneuvers his BFV during gunnery range training at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The GSID helps PEO GCS leverage resources to address emerging warfighter needs across the ground combat systems fleet. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Khori D. Johnson.)

AUTHOR BIO:lori grein is the Public Affairs Officer for the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems. Experienced as a correspondent for Army publications, she has composed numerous award-winning nominations and has excelled in high-level event coordination and management. Grein holds a B.S. degree and is a graduate of the Defense Information School for Public Affairs.

14

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Mobile MessagingTo fight effectively, Soldiers need the ability to do two things — move and communicate. The new Command and Control on the Move program allows units to transmit battlefield messages in the field and back to headquarters more accurately, quickly and securely.By Jeff DeWitt

Battlefield communications is the lifeline between commanders and their maneuver elements. Improved communications can lead to near-real time data exchange and provide Soldiers unparalleled situational awareness while executing complicated, multi-dimensional operations. Inter-service (joint) and combined (allies) operations continue to be a challenge because of non-standard communications equipment and capabilities. Training events such as Exercise Saber Strike 2011 allows U.S. forces and their allies to engage in comprehensive training situations to help alleviate potential communications challenges. The Army's Command and Control on the Move program is raising the communications bar for maneuver commanders. Here, U.S. Soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team return from a patrol at the Adazi Training Area in Latvia. Saber Strike is an annual cooperative training exercise between Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Brendan Stephens.)

During the early days of any military operation, communication — between units, back to headquarters, among maneuver elements — is crucial to mission execution. During military operations in Iraq and ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Soldiers routinely halted to construct antennae and other communications equipment along major supply routes so combatant commanders could relay secure messages to and from command posts (CPs) and forward operating bases. When potential technology gaps were brought to Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical’s (PEO C3T’s) Project Manager Command Posts (PM CP) attention through an Operational Needs Statement (ONS), PM CP and its partners provided commanders and their battle staffs the capability to communicate on the move. Today, the necessary technologies are being integrated and fielded by PM CP’s Command and Control on the Move (C2OTM) program, formerly known as Mounted Battle Command on the Move.

C2OTM’s mission is to provide battlefield commanders with similar common operational pictures (COPs) resident in a fixed CP while traversing the battle space. C2OTM allows Soldiers to communicate and receive information on-the-move, providing secure and nonsecure communications in near real-time. “The bottom line — a commander and staff will be able to execute the art of battle command and facilitate situational understanding, with this suite of equipment,” remarked Product Manager Command Post Systems and Integration (CPS&I) LTC Terry M. Wilson.

Wilson observed that the C2OTM architecture was created through lessons-learned of previously fielded systems and a number of iterative improvements. Commanders require visibility and situational awareness (SA) to be effective and make corresponding decisions based on

the information received. Equipment integrated onto command variant platforms receives unmanned aerial vehicle footage as well as other SA data that allows commanders to execute battle command from wherever the mission takes them.

ExPLORING THE ONS PROCESSIn May 2008, the 4th Infantry Division submitted an ONS for nine C2OTM-equipped Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) platforms. Following that, the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) submitted an ONS for a C2OTM-equipped Stryker Command Vehicle (CV). With guidance from the G3 Office, U.S. Army Operational Test Command, PM CP coordinated with Joint Project Office (JPO) MRAP and chose the Caiman MRAP platform

with multiple capability insertion upgrades as the MRAP variant to fulfill the MRAP ONS requirements.

“The requirements were derived from the ONS submitted by theater. During the ONS approval process, Product Manager CPS&I worked with theater, JPO MRAP, Product Management Office [PMO] SBCT, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command [TRADOC] Capability Manager Battle Command and TRADOC to refine the requirements and develop a system architecture that would meet the user’s needs,” explained then-C2OTM Product Director Michael Acriche. (Acriche is now with the PM Warfighter Information Network-Tactical office.)

INTEGRATING C2OTM TECHNOLOGYTo integrate the necessary communications equipment onto the two platforms, C2OTM directed that two kits be designed/developed. The A-kit consists of platform modifications necessary to host the communications equipment; racks, brackets, cabling, power and environmental-control unit upgrades and other physical accoutrements. The B-kit contains the actual communications, network, computing

15

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Soldiers with the 23rd Infantry Regiment prepare to dismount their Stryker vehicles at Camp Tombstone, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The newly available C2OTM capabilities will give commanders and Soldiers greater communications capabilities without needing to build antennae and other devices to transfer data. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Efren Lopez.)

“The bottom line — a commander and staff will be able to execute the art of battle command and facilitate situational understanding.”

— LTC Terry M. Wilson PM Command Post Systems and Integration

and user interface equipment. PM CP developed the B-kit in-house and reached out to its various partners, including PMO SBCT, JPO MRAP and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to explore potential A-kit solutions.

“The C2OTM untethers the commander from the command post. In doing so, we needed to ensure that we minimized the learning curve necessary for a commander switching between the fixed command post and the C2OTM platform,” Acriche stated.

“The last thing you need is a different interface,” Wilson pointed out. “Rather, the commander and the battle staff need to be able to access and manipulate data in a similar fashion wherever they reside.” C2OTM operators require little training as the applications and interface equipment are the same as in the fixed CP. PM CP recreated the stationary CP’s interface onto C2OTM to take advantage of Soldier familiarity with the equipment, meaning that pre-existing hardware and software could be used, driving down costs. PM CP streamlined the technology kits and

leveraged technology from other PMs. “What we did extremely well was realize we had a 10-pound kit in a 5-pound bag — and six pounds the commander never needs,” Wilson quipped.

C2OTM directly resulted from the Vehicular Integration for Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance/Electronic Warfare Interoperability (VICTORY) Architecture. The VICTORY Architecture allows vehicles to be designed with interoperable systems to promote integration efforts. C2OTM took this lesson to heart, and its interoperable architecture will drive down future costs by using long-lasting hardware compatible across multiple platforms. “JPO MRAP worked hand-in-hand with PM CP and the

TARDEC Center for Ground Vehicle Development and Integration [CGVDI] to create an integrated, platform level systems architecture, combining the existing MRAP C4 Digital Backbone with the C2OTM B-kit,” stated Assistant Product Manager, Caiman Vehicles — Vice Assistant Program Manager Kerry B. Riese.

Likewise, PMO SBCT played a similar role with the Stryker vehicle. PMO SBCT “made sure the requirement was valid and worked with available vehicle space claims, equipment integration issues, power analyses, platform concerns, impacts to user, safety/human factors engineering, product testing and evaluation,” explained PMO SBCT Assistant PM Stryker MAJ Michael A. Sansome. “These are all aspects of successfully integrating the C2OTM kit onto the Stryker CV.”

SYSTEMS ENGINEERS INTEGRATE KITSThrough progressive reviews and technology analyses, JPO MRAP, PM CP, TARDEC and industry collaborative partners engaged in a rigorous systems engineering (SE) process for the vehicles’ design. Acriche cited antenna placement/co-site modeling, power analyses, internal B-kit mounting and thermal modeling as examples of where the team used an iterative SE approach to ensure that C2OTM kit integration did not interfere with current platform capabilities or performance. Furthermore, it was vital to ensure that the additional equipment fit with operational size, weight and power constraints, while alleviating any potential safety/human factors concerns. “We took an iterative design approach, with a lot of computer-assisted modeling,” Acriche recalled.

DIFFERENTIATING THE VEHICLE DESIGNS“JPO MRAP is responsible for the

16

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Soldiers with 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, prepare to convoy in their Stryker armored vehicles to Taktehpol, Afghanistan, to perform contingency operations. PM CP is developing A kit and B kit modifications to improve battlefield communications and commander and Soldier SA. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. Francisco V. Govea II.)

“The C2OTM untethers the commander from the command post.”

— Michael Acriche Then Product Director Command and Control on the Move

complete vehicle system,” Riese stated, adding that the organization has “the responsibility to ensure that the addition of the C2OTM B-kit did not degrade the vehicle’s capability.” To accomplish this, JPO MRAP created base vehicle upgrades that included an additional auxiliary power unit, more survivable seats and heavy-duty shocks to accommodate the added equipment’s weight.

The Stryker had its own challenges. “The Stryker has an overall unique C4 Army Battle Command System mission requirement,” Sansome explained.

“The platform’s internal configuration and command equipment space claims, along with the integration of various Operation Enduring Freedom/OEF kits, made the integration and design effort for the C2OTM kit very challenging,” stated PMO SBCT CV Lead Systems Integration Engineer Cornelius Strong Jr.

As stated earlier, the C2OTM kit could not interfere with previously integrated kits and had to fit into an already-cramped vehicle without becoming a safety hazard while the vehicle was in use. Packaging the equipment in the vehicle was the greatest challenge. Although both vehicles use a different A-kit, the ability to integrate the same B-kit among multiple platforms generates cost savings.

“In the past, integration on multiple platforms had different timelines and multiple architectures,” Acriche began. He explained that, for Stryker, the team prioritized which C2OTM components needed to be integrated first if they would not all fit. However, by using previous work as a baseline, the team integrated the entire B-kit. PM CP used this knowledge to create a baseline architecture for integration across

multiple C2OTM-equipped platforms; High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker CVs and Caiman MRAPs.

CONSTRUCTING TEST PLATFORMSOnce the team reached the final design review, and any necessary updates were made to each platform design, parts fabrication and subsequent platform integration began. The team developed a single testing prototype for each vehicle system with fabrication and functional checkouts during the initial “build” stage. Adding the kits increased each vehicle’s weight by 2,000 to 3,000 pounds, not a significant amount since Strykers can weigh between 16 to 18 tons, while MRAP Caimans weigh approximately 14 tons.

Prior to shipment to the Electronics Proving Ground, PM CP and TARDEC reviewed the vehicles to ensure they had the best chance of passing the tests and meeting all design thresholds. Caiman C2OTM MRAP testing began last year. Once Caiman and Stryker testing is completed, with the necessary safety and performance testing, a safety confirmation will be written for each platform that will enable fielding the capability of deploying units and vehicles being reset.

SOLDIER C2OTM TRAININGTARDEC and its collaborative partners are working toward current requirements for Caiman MRAPs equipped with C2OTM along with C2OTM Stryker CVs. “These vehicles will be supported via dedicated field service representatives provided jointly by JPO MRAP and PM CP,” Riese noted.

As of Feb. 16, 2011, eight Caiman C2OTM vehicles were completed in Iraq. Also, four Stryker C2OTM vehicles were completed in Warren, MI, and shipped to the National Training Center. These vehicles’ final destination is Afghanistan. The vehicles “provide battlefield commanders with the ability to fully communicate with echelons both higher and lower via the upper and lower tactical Internet, voice, text or video,” Sansome stated.

Wilson explained C2OTM has changed the approach to training C2OTM to end users. In the past, Soldiers were trained on the capability after deployment. By working with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, PM CP developed a fleet of C2OTM training vehicles using a HMMWV chassis. Training now occurs during warfighters’ ready/train phase of the Army Force Generation cycle. “This let us get in front of the tidal wave,” Wilson concluded. “We provide the necessary support and training to the Soldier prior to going to war.”

17

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“The last thing you need is a different interface. Rather, the commander and the battle staff need to be able to access and manipulate data in a similar fashion wherever they reside.”

— LTC Terry M. Wilson PM Command Post Systems and Integration

AUTHOR BIO:JeFF DewiTT serves as a Project Lead within TARDEC’s CGVDI Team and is responsible for the cost, schedule, performance and risk of various projects. He has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from Oakland University.

18

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Each MRAP vehicle contains a nerve center of intelligence, reconnaissance and communications systems, which give a decisive edge in electronics to small fighting units. Engineers can now upload these capabilities through an efficient, repeatable systems integration process. By Curtis Adams

Mrap’s DigiTal bacKbone

U.S. Soldiers travel via MRAP to conduct a combat mission in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. MRAP Capability Insertion Program engineers are playing a vital role in increasing the vehicles’ mission-effectiveness and survivability by enhancing surveillance and communications capabilities using a digital backbone. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Efren Lopez.)

19

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Imagine purchasing a car several years back equipped with an AM/FM radio, CD player and other standard features. As technology improved and new features became available, you probably added an iPod adapter, navigation system and other components to make your ‘ride’ glide. While plugging in new components throughout your car worked for awhile, you’ve already discovered this isn’t the most efficient or cost-effective way to add new technology. Well, after nearly a decade of war, Army systems engineers and designers have reached a similar conclusion about the Army’s combat and tactical vehicle “add ons.” As ground vehicle systems get reset, they will need significant redesign and reconfiguration to safely and effectively accept the size, weight, power and cooling (SWaP-C) demands imposed by new technology and operational demands.

As the military faces the challenge of incorporating lifesaving Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) equipment into its family of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) and MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs), TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), Program Executive Office (PEO) Combat Support and Combat Service Support (CS&CSS) and U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) engineers, logisticians and program/project managers (PMs) will have to effectively balance SWaP-C considerations, capabilities and trades. Enhanced cameras, sensors and displays are vital tools to warfighters in the field, but simply adding C4ISR equipment to MRAP/M-ATV vehicles increases SWaP-C requirements and can, potentially, downgrade vehicle performance. Consequently, Department of Defense (DoD) MRAP Capability Insertion Program managers must find ways to provide warfighters with crucial

equipment without overburdening vehicle operating systems.

The Bottom Line: MRAP needed to grow a backbone.

THE DIGITAL BACKBONEJoint Project Office (JPO) MRAP Deputy PM David Hansen explained that it is essential to add improved C4ISR capabilities to the MRAP as they become available without sacrificing SWaP-C demands. To accomplish this, the vehicle’s electronic architecture must be redesigned. “One of the main things the MRAP Capability Insertion Program is addressing is the creation of a digital backbone and power management infrastructure in all the vehicles,” Hansen remarked. “Across DoD, we like to keep installing things that eat up a lot of power and space. There’s a lot of digital equipment that warfighters would like to have. Those things all require power and a place to run wires and hook them up. The digital backbone provides that base capability to continue to add things that would otherwise eat up space and power.”

The immediate payoff of a digital backbone is improved crew effectiveness. The crew will be better able to use its vehicle and equipment to operate their vehicle on-the-move, collaborate on crew tasks, distribute workload at the vehicle commander’s prerogative, and improve its local situational awareness. For a longer term payoff, it provides for both growth and modularity in the digital and power architectures to adapt to the unknown and constantly evolving capabilities of the future. The system architecture and software are well documented with full government purpose rights and, when coupled with the modularity of the system, will enable component level competition through the life cycle as required. The MRAP digital backbone is a true open system.

The DoD often works directly with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to insert new capabilities into systems, but the ability to add important electronic equipment in a common way across multiple variants requires creating a common electronic architecture that’s agreed on by partners throughout government and industry. Crucial to the architecture’s creation is software that allows electronics to be integrated without overburdening the vehicle or taxing performance.

The digital backbone software was developed at TARDEC’s Software Engineering Center (SEC). SEC Director Mark Slominski stated that the idea was to focus less on adding components and more on making them work together. “We focused on integration over installation so that some things can function for more than one system,” Slominski explained. “If every system uses its own display, for instance, we would run out of space. But if we only have a few smart, multifunctional displays, we can have one display control more than one system. Our role in support

“One of the main things the MRAP Capability Insertion Program is addressing is the creation of a digital backbone and power management infrastructure in all the vehicles. The digital backbone provides that base capability to continue to add things that would otherwise eat up space and power.”

— David Hansen JPO MRAP Deputy Program Manager

of JPO MRAP is to develop the software that glues the architecture together to make that possible.”

MRAP Capability Insertion Program’s intent is to quickly field new capabilities, including enhanced C4ISR, to warfighters. Developing the digital backbone to tie these components together is a high DoD priority. “JPO MRAP basically took the lead in coordinating this project,” Slominski noted. “In any systems engineering project, you start out with a work-breakdown structure, and JPO MRAP provided a fairly detailed one. Line item by line item, you try to do everything you need to do, like develop software, buy components or do systems engineering work.”

The SEC works with component vendors, such as the Army’s CECOM LCMC and vehicle OEMs, to find the best way to effectively use electronic components in a manner that is easy for Soldiers to understand and doesn’t overload SWaP requirements. “There’s a power distribution system, for instance, and we provide the smart controls. Instead of going down to a circuit box buried somewhere in the vehicle, it’s up there on a smart display, where you can turn things

on or off, see if something’s tripped,” Slominski elaborated. “We’ve added improved radio control. There are multiple radios in these vehicles, and you can, from this one smart display, load frequencies in or turn radios on or off. We have also added a video distribution system to take 20 different video sources from throughout the vehicle. Depending on your mission and your job at that time, you can see what the driver’s looking at, or what the gunner’s seeing, or view the anti-sniper feed. We also provide a data bus so everything’s linked together. It’s actually the same type of Ethernet connection that you’d use in your office.”

MRAP SYSTEMS INTEGRATION LAB (SIL) A key tool in the SEC’s work with the digital backbone is its MRAP SIL, which recreates an MRAP crew station. The SIL provides an important capability for understanding how various system and sub-system components work together when integrated into the digital backbone. Power boxes, video displays and

20

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Army SSG Gregory McIver, Tactical Assault Command and Control, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, patrols Afghanistan’s Paktika Province in an MRAP vehicle. As more capabilities are added to the MRAP, space for warfighters to conduct vehicle and mission operations begins to decrease. The MRAP Capability Insertion Program is ensuring warfighters can safely use the vehicles to complete field missions in Iraq and Afghanistan without sacrificing vehicle performance, utility or situational awareness. (U.S. Army photo by SGT Jeffrey Alexander.)

“We focused on integration over installation so that some things can function for more than one system. If every system uses its own display, for instance, we would run out of space. But if we only have a few smart, multifunctional displays, we can have one display control more than one system. Our role in support of JPO MRAP is to develop the software that glues the architecture together to make that possible.”

— Mark Slominski SEC Director

sensors are all connected in the SIL to provide engineers and designers with real-time feedback on integration effectiveness. Specialized software assists in simulating power loads so engineers can understand how the integrated systems impact vehicle SWaP requirements.

Slominski considers the high-fidelity crew station to be one of SEC’s biggest contributions to the MRAP Capability Insertion Program. The lab allows the digital backbone and other components to be tested before the capabilities are integrated onto vehicles and as new technologies are developed. “As we bring in actual components, harnesses or software to go in the vehicle, we test it in the SIL first to make sure it’s working correctly. If teams run into problems after the components are installed in the vehicle, they can go through the same test procedures to make sure everything’s working OK” Slominski remarked. “A lot of times, they’ll come to the SIL because the lab allows you to get easier access to boxes — you’re not crawling around

trying to hook up a cable from one box to another — so it’s a lot easier to troubleshoot and fix problems. Then, they may take everything out to the vehicle and finish the integration.”

Most importantly, Slominski noted, the SIL’s re-creation of an MRAP crew station allows for testing by engineers as well as vehicle users, who can provide important feedback on what configurations work best for them and what needs they have for the MRAP in the field. “What that allows you to do is bring in warfighters early in the program. Typically, it was just engineers who were able to provide this feedback early, but by bringing in Soldiers and Marines, they can say, ‘No, you have that all wrong,’ or, ‘Yes, that’s how we like it,’ or, ‘Tweak it,’ so it’s more useful for them,” Slominski commented.

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUESTARDEC’s SEC is currently collaborating with JPO MRAP and its collaborative partners to develop the next software version to ensure that

C4ISR equipment can be safely and effectively integrated into the common architecture for MRAP variants. As the project continues, Slominski emphasized that collaboration among partners and continued feedback from warfighters will play a crucial role in equipping all variants to provide lifesaving, mission-enhancing capabilities for fielded MRAPs. “I think that feedback, which has been very positive from the warfighters, has helped us become pretty successful in coming up with a common architecture that can be mapped to any MRAP variant. This program has allowed us to put in more systems that are easier to control to maximize system capability,” he concluded.

21

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Army Soldiers conduct a joint night patrol with Iraqi policemen in Baghdad, Iraq. TARDEC’s SEC plays a crucial role in DoD’s MRAP Capability Insertion Program by developing the software to incorporate mission-essential surveillance equipment that keeps warfighters safe while on patrol. (U.S. Army photo by Kevin Farmer.)

AUTHOR BIO:cUrTis aDaMs is Associate Director for TARDEC Program Integration and recently served as MRAP Lead for C4 and Digital Backbone. He has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Michigan State University and an M.S. in computer engineering from the University of Michigan - Dearborn.

22

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

TRAILER TECHWhether Soldiers and Marines have a need for vehicle recovery and freight hauling in theater, or they’re called to assist on a humanitarian support mission, they’ll have a new multipurpose family of trailers to meet their needs, thanks to a group of agencies working together in a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration. By Anna Wojciechowski and Chris Williams

An MRAP vehicle awaits recovery after getting stuck in the mud following a heavy rainfall in Iraq. New trailers developed through the JRaDS program can help recover these vehicles more quickly if they become stuck in mud, are disabled in an attack or experience mechanical failure. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Gavriel Bar-Tzur.)

In Afghanistan, a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle has sustained damages from an improvised explosive device. U.S. Soldiers inside are safe, but the overturned vehicle is immobilized and in need of immediate recovery.

In another part of the world, the Army is answering a distress call to deliver medical supplies and rescue victims following a devastating earthquake. Since assistance may be needed anywhere, at anytime, including remote areas that do not have the necessary infrastructure to distribute needed supplies or emergency aid quickly, the JRaDS family of trailers is mission-ready.

The preceeding scenarios require unique approaches and tools, including the availability of trailers that meet a variety of mission-critical needs. The U.S. Army and U. S. Marine Corps (USMC) have contracted with The Boeing Company to build Joint Recovery and Distribution System (JRaDS) to demonstrate trailers that have more dedicated uses and handle emergencies more effectively, whether the challenge is winching a bomb-damaged MRAP from the roadside or providing humanitarian aid to people devastated by disaster. The JRaDS will demonstrate mission capabilities, including loading and off-loading aircraft and recovering and hauling damaged MRAPs to improve response time to scenarios similar to those discussed above.

While there are more than 20 heavy trailer types in the Army inventory, most can only be used for transporting cargo and vehicles. Because these trailers cannot self-load or off-load, they depend on Material Handling Equipment (MHE). With less than 30-percent commonality among trailers, it can be challenging to find a trailer to complete a targeted task or guarantee that the trailers will be able to meet commanders’ specific mission needs. The JRaDS trailers, on the other hand, are designed to complete as many tasks as possible, including: transport, cargo-loading and vehicle recovery. MHE and truck uncoupling are not necessary with the tilt deck design of the JRaDS trailers. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) teamed with the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) and the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) to develop demonstrators that could be used to determine military utility for a variety of targeted missions, including vehicle recovery, cargo transport, loading and off-loading. JRaDS's Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) is changing the way the Department of Defense (DoD) tailors its approach to

traditional acquisition and, through this rapid and agile approach, has increased the speed with which technology is delivered to the end user.

HITCHING TOGETHERTARDEC, TRANSCOM and CASCOM began working together on JRaDS in 2008. With TARDEC as the project’s Technical Manager, TRANSCOM as the Operational Manager, CASCOM as the Deputy Operational Manager and Product Manager Heavy Tactical Vehicles (PM HTV) as Transition Manager, the team began exploring how to develop demonstrators that would show military utility for: cargo hauling, vehicle and rotary wing aircraft recovery, equipment evacuation and aircraft offloading. Marine Corps Joint Program Office MRAP became an early partner, too, when it contracted with The Boeing Co. for the first variant JRaDS trailer.

TARDEC JRaDS JCTD TM signed an agreement with JPO MRAP leadership to form a partnership for the duration of the JCTD project.

As Technical Manager, TARDEC was responsible for writing performance objectives, implementing contracts, overseeing testing, orchestrating technical demonstrations, and overseeing and distributing the program’s finances. TRANSCOM’s responsibility as the Operational Manager was to set up operational demonstrations and work with the military and an independent evaluator to collect data supporting Critical Operational Issues (COIs) and document the findings. CASCOM worked throughout the DOD community to communicate the program’s developments and benefits to military partners. PM HTV plans to handle the documentation required for future Program of Record transition if these trailers are approved in a requirements document.

CASCOM was to benefit from this JCTD with data to help it write the Requirements Document for the Future Family of Trailers. Already, CASCOM has conducted four joint user conferences to learn what is

23

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Marines with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward) dig a Logistics Vehicle System Replacement vehicle out of the mud in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Due to their size and weight, and the unimproved roadways military convoys must navigate, vehicle recovery can be an extreme challenge in remote locations. The JRaDS FoTS will help warfighters recover military vehicles far more easily once the new systems are fielded DoD wide. (USMC photo by Cpl John M. McCall.)

Data was used by the TM team to develop a performance objective document representing these trailers’ joint user needs.

needed across the DoD in the future trailer family. Although these findings have not made it to the Requirements Document, the data was used by the TM team to develop a performance objective document representing these trailers’ joint user needs. This information was

crucial to the successful identification of what these trailers should be.

40-TON VARIANT MEETS RECOVERY NEEDSTwo JRaDS trailer variants have been developed. An urgent USMC request highlighted the importance of recovering disabled or overturned MRAPs in the field and was the impetus for the first variant, a 40-ton, 58-foot-long trailer designed for vehicle recovery. This trailer features a three-degrees-of-freedom bed and dual 50,000-pound winches with an optional recovery crane. The Aberdeen Test Center performed trailer testing to verify the trailer’s safety and give permission to the Soldiers to operate these trailers during operational demonstrations.

During technical demonstrations, also conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground, the first trailer variant was able to upright an overturned MRAP, winch a catastrophically damaged MRAP on the bed of the trailer, and pull the heaviest MRAP built out of the mud when it was mired over its wheels. Those that witnessed these events recognize that there are many capabilities with this trailer. Until this point in time, no single vehicle in the inventory could recover catastrophically damaged MRAPs without axles or front clips and transport it a long distance back to base.

TRANSCOM arranged to demo this trailer at Fort Campbell, KY. There, the 40-ton trailer variant was demonstrated with the 101st Sustainment Brigade. This operational demonstration allowed Soldiers the opportunity to use the trailers and assess their military utility. This type of feedback is crucial to making the variants more effective. “During operational demos, we get out of the way. We don’t tell the warfighters what to do except when we train them the week before,” says Bruce Nordstog, TARDEC JRaDS Team’s Project Engineer. “They have scenarios that they have to try to accomplish, like an overturned vehicle they have to turn upright, but basically they’re left on their own. Unless there is a safety issue we stay out of the way. It helps us to better understand the benefits these trailers provide to the Soldiers, and we use the lessons learned to continue improving the systems.”

To capture the military utility of these trailers, the independently evaluated, Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) staff captured Soldiers’ comments. NATC, in collaboration with the OM, the Deputy OM, and the TM, produced a series of questions to assess whether the gaps identified through functional needs analyses conducted in 2005 by the Army and Marine Corps could be closed with the capabilities of these trailers. The identified gaps addressed recovery capability in austere environments without the

24

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

The 40-ton JRaDS trailer, pictured here, was designed in response to urgent needs from theater to recover overturned vehicles. In testing, this variant has proven capable of recovering overturned vehicles from muddy environments. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo courtesy of George Loewen.)

89th Aerial Port Squadron Airmen load pallets onto a C-17 Globemaster III, March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Andrews, MD. These specialized pallets include technical search and rescue gear, including inflatable swiftwater rescue boats, generators and trench rescue and cutting equipment to aid rescue efforts after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011. As the Army works with its sister services to provide humanitarian assistance following events like this, ongoing JRaDS trailer testing and evaluation will lead to transport capabilities for otherwise impassable terrain during natural or manmade disasters. (U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Perry Aston.)

use of MHE, and JRaDS trailers proved to have off-road capabilities superior to existing trailer systems.

34-TON VARIANT PROVIDES LOGISTICS SUPPORTShortly after work began on the 40-ton variant, design and development of a second variant, a 34-ton line haul trailer enabling intermodal transportation, was completed. The second variant can transport one 40-foot ISO [International Organization for Standardization] or two 20-foot ISO intermodal containers on its longer trailer bed, and it features dual 35,000-pound winches and an optional detachable crane. The shorter overall 53-foot length allows the trailer to travel with no permits in the U.S. and meets the international width limit for European Union streets and roads. The team applied the lessons learned from the first variant and demonstrated independent suspension patented technology. The no-permit-required, requested by TRANSCOM, presented some technical space challenges, as this trailer also had to transport the 40-foot ISO containers.

TRAILER DEPLOYMENTDuring interactive demonstrations for VIPs at Fort Lee, VA, warfighters were able to view both variants. Bryan Kriehn, a Boeing associate and a Field Support Representative for the deployed JRaDS, remarked that “the biggest thing about this capability is that it changes the Soldiers’ methodology of how they recover vehicles. This adds a capability warfighters don’t have today. Soldiers

we’ve worked with seem excited. They understand what is going on and really catch on with only minor instruction.”

Before deploying its new systems, JRaDS completed several validation steps. The trailers were delivered to Afghanistan and, after Soldier training, began trials and recovery missions. A Field Support Representative from Boeing is providing the training and trailer maintenance in Afghanistan. Since January 2010, three trailers in theater have performed multiple recovery missions; the quick recovery time (in one case 15 minutes versus the 2.5 hours estimated with existing equipment) means less time for the enemy to inflict injury.

Currently, the second variant is being prepared for limited user evaluation in Afghanistan. The 101st Brigade and the Marines are requesting more of these trailers. TARDEC and PM HTV are collaborating to make the transition to these trailers successful in order to support recovery missions. The more exposure in theater these trailers get, the more interest is generated by the user to procure additional trailers. The team recognizes the need to continue looking at the big picture. This trailer’s capabilities will revitalize how cargo is distributed within theater. The third trailer variant, currently under TARDEC evaluation, may allow the trailer to be dropped off in an area that cannot be reached by a road and begin delivering whatever sustainment and logistical

goods are needed. The time of goods delivery will thus be shortened.

The JRaDS program has shown the value of collaboration throughout DoD in developing systems that will benefit warfighters and provide more efficient sustainment service in the field. Through improved vehicle recovery capabilities, more efficient logistics and the ability to traverse difficult terrain, the technology will play a vital role in keeping warfighters safe and well-equipped.

25

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Soldiers attach a disabled MRAP vehicle to the 40-ton JRaDS trailer and tow it away during a JRaDS VIP Day demonstration at Fort Lee. The system will allow warfighters to easily extricate vehicles that are battle damaged or become stuck in the field. (U.S. Army TARDEC photos by Paul Tremblay.)

AUTHOR BIOS:anna woJciecHowsKi received her M.S. degree in engineering management from National Technological University and her B.S. degree in civil engineering from Wayne State University. She holds Level III-certifications in Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engeering (SPRDE) and Program Management, and Level II-certification in Test Management. Her career has taken her through various engineering assignments and several government agencies, giving her broad exposure to the different engineering disciplines, various joint DoD requirements and program management objectives. Since August 2008, she has served as the JRaDS JCTD Technical Manager and CASSI – System Demonstrator’s Team Leader for JRaDS.

cHris williaMs is a Senior Writer/Editor who provides contract support to TARDEC’s Strategic Communications team. He holds a B.A. in communication from Wayne State University, and has previously written for The Source newspaper in Shelby Township, MI, and The Macomb Daily and C & G Newspapers in Macomb County, MI.

26

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

collaboraTion conQUers cHallenges

cenTerExECUTIVE ENTERPRISE ESTABLISHES GROUND VEHICLE SYSTEMS GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONALIZATIONTheArmyandMarineCorpshaveproventheycanfighttogetheronthebattlefield.Now,they’reformingtheJointCenterforGroundVehiclestocollaborateonanunprecedentedlevelandachieveagoalcriticaltobothofthem—supportingprogramsthatbestservethewarfighter.

By Daniel Pierson

The Department of Defense (DoD) is facing difficult challenges and is asking all of its branches to find ways to do more without having more. The establishment of the Joint Center for Ground Vehicles (JCGV) between the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and Army Program Executive Officers (PEOs) is a significant step toward gaining efficiencies, but also a key enabler toward more effective vehicle portfolio management at the enterprise level.

From the DoD perspective, three primary Program Executive Offices are involved in managing ground vehicle system Major Defense Acquisition Programs — USMC PEO Land Systems (LS), Army PEO Ground Combat Systems (GCS), and Army PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (CS&CSS). Additionally, PEO Integration (PEO I) has the role of integrating capabilities across the systems managed by the three primary ground vehicle PEOs. This

year, these PEOs, along with the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) and Office of Naval Research (ONR), have joined forces to establish the ability to analyze the right data at the right time, supported by the right people, to manage the ground fleet at an enterprise level. It will take time to get the JCGV’s processes and personnel in place and institutionalized across the enterprise, but collaboration has begun at all levels on existing

programs and JCGV members expect to be operating with the governance and necessary agreements in place by late 2011.What makes this arrangement more efficient for DoD is that, rather than standing up new facilities or investing in possibly redundant tool sets, the Joint Center construct allows the USMC to first see if it can build upon the facilities and tools the Army already has in place. Establishing linkages with Army installations in a coordinated manner through the JCGV also means PEO LS Program Managers do not have to take the time to research where they can find the support they need.

27

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“What the USMC brings to the equation is a perspective of looking ahead to what can be, versus reflecting on the problems of the past. The Navy and Marine Corps also have pockets of SMEs throughout their labs and ONR that can be brought to bear on problems.”

— William Taylor Program Executive Officer, PEO Land Systems

Facing page: Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment U.S. Army SGT Adam Nielsen, an infantry team leader, points out a spot of previous enemy engagement as he leads his unit to the village of Shebatkyl, Afghanistan, to conduct a lengthy key leader engagement with village elders. As the Nation’s Soldiers and Marines continue to face evolving challenges in Afghanistan and in other global missions, it is critical that the most advanced vehicle technologies are integrated into DoD’s current fleets and are engineered into future ground vehicle platforms. The JCGV will help members align their portfolios, which will ensure Current Force effectiveness while enhancing Future Force capabilities and responsiveness. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Ryan Matson.)

A U.S. Marine supporting the Georgian Land Force 32nd Battalion and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations stands by his Cougar MRAP vehicle awaiting convoy upload somewhere in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 8 (CLB8), 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) continue to operate on some of Afghanistan’s most desolate and uncompromising terrain. The JCGV enterprise will work to ensure that Soldiers and Marines have the most adaptable, capable, sustainable and expeditionary vehicle systems on the planet. (USMC photo by Cpl Michael Augusto.)

28

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Marines use an M936A1 MTVR wrecker, right, to lift equipment from an M983 heavy expanded mobility tactical truck during a convoy to Combat Outpost Shukvani, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Marines with CLB8 provided logistics support to ISAF operations. (USMC photo by Cpl Michael Augusto.)

JoinT cenTer for groUnD veHicles

ARMYPEO GCS is developing a strategy to modernize four systems in its combat fleet and plans to use the Joint Center construct as a key aspect of providing the analysis and technical expertise to buy back size, weight and power limitations imposed on the systems during the past decade of adding capabilities during intense conflict.

MARINE CORPS The USMC can use the Joint Center construct to establish relationships and processes for launching new programs in a more coordinated fashion.

DEPARTMENT of DEFENSEDoD is building vehicle acquisition strategies that are aligned to take advantage of an integrated, collaborative fleet management capability exactly at the same time that construct has been started.

Jcgv aDvanTages

Products

Collaborative Governance

Enterprise Portfolio Management Improvement Initiatives Reviews

Data

Competencies

PeoplePartnerships

Ente

rpri

se P

roce

ssD

evel

op &

Man

age

Gro

und

Syst

ems

Ente

rpri

se A

rchi

tect

ure

Tech

Pro

cess

Coll

abor

ativ

e, S

yste

ms

Inte

grat

ion,

Li

fe C

ycle

-Foc

used

Solutions

29

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

What the JCGV does to improve effectiveness is take ground vehicle development and acquisition

to a new level by ensuring the member organizations function as an enterprise, look at commonality across platforms and services, and develop shared analytical services that result in accelerated acquisition as we experienced during the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle program. The USMC is paving the way with the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) and the Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) programs. This includes establishing a Systems Integration Lab (SIL) in Warren, MI, to complement the Joint Center, examining commonality issues across our platforms and tying that commonality into work going on within the Army.

Creating an enterprise construct is always challenging and this effort has not been without its growing pains. However, the potential effectiveness and efficiency payoffs have been clear to all JCGV partners and we have

endured. What our Army partners have told us is that PEO LS’s involvement has been a catalyst toward making the final collaboration stages come to fruition. Our presence allowed us to build on what the Army has already accomplished over the past several years as the TACOM LCMC has evolved.

“What the USMC brings to the equation is a perspective of looking ahead to what can be, versus reflecting on the problems of the past. The Navy and Marine Corps also have pockets of subject-matter experts [SMEs] throughout their labs and ONR that can be brought to bear on problems,” explained PEO LS Program Executive Officer William Taylor. “The Marine Corps is guided by a very stringent off-road mission profile that will also drive technology solutions benefitting both USMC and Army systems. We look forward to meeting the challenge of collaboration and the ultimate innovation that will result and benefit the warfighter.” ■

“The Marine Corps is guided by a very stringent off-road mission profile that will also drive technology solutions benefitting both USMC and Army systems. We look forward to meeting the challenge of collaboration and the ultimate innovation that will result and benefit the warfighter.”

— William Taylor Program Executive Officer, PEO Land Systems

›› The JCGV is a joint enterprise formed from existing organizations. Its purpose is to increase ground systems effectiveness and improve acquisition efficiencies through collaborative governance, integrated planning and portfolio management, systems integration, technical expertise, and resource and data sharing.

›› It was mandated by DoD’s 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

›› The JCGV does not exist in a physical building. It exists throughout its founding organizations.

›› Founding organizations include: PEO GCS, PEO CS&CSS, PEO I, PEO LS, TARDEC, MARCORSYSCOM, ILSC, ONR Code 30 and TACOM LCMC.

›› The JCGV manages the integrated planning process, not individual programs.

›› The JCGV is funded by the participants as part of their normal course of doing business.

FasT FacTsbalancing survivability, protection, payload and mobility: Thisis,andwillremain,themajorchallengeindesigningnewvehiclesystems.Thegroundvehiclecommunityisactivelyengagedintheanalysisofpromisingtechnologiesthatcouldbeappliedtoongoingandup-and-comingstart-upvehicleprograms.

survivability:Improvisedexplosivedeviceshavecausedtheneedforarmormodificationkitsthat“up-weight”thevehicles,slowingthemdownandincreasingmaintenancecosts.Vehiclesthataresoheavytheyhavedifficultygettingtothebattlefieldinatimelymanner,andlacktheabilitytomaneuverinlesspredictableways,arenotbeneficialtowarfightersuccess.

energy efficiency:Increasingefficiencyimprovesvehicleperformanceandresultsinfewerfuelconvoysandfewerwarfightersinharm’sway.TheArmyEnergySecurityTaskForcereportsa1-percentimprovementinfueleconomyresultsin6,444fewerSoldiertripsonfuelconvoys.

Key Challenges

U.S. Marines with Personal Security Detachment, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Regimental Combat Team 2, make final preparations on their Mine-Resistant Armor-Protected (MRAP) vehicles prior to departing on a convoy from Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Marines and Soldiers need their ground combat and tactical vehicles to be as maneuverable, efficient and survivable as possible. These will be major challenges for future ground vehicle development, but the JCGV was formed to help the USMC and Army address such issues for Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles (EFVs), MRAPs and other vehicle platforms. (USMC photo by Cpl. Jesse Johnson.)30

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

a JoinT eFForTDaniel Pierson’s commentary explains how the JCGV will help the Army and Marine Corps work better together, combine ground vehicle engineering and integration efforts, and achieve a shared purpose: delivering capability to the warfighter now and in the future.By Daniel Pierson

As you read this article, the ink might still be wet on the Joint Center for Ground Vehicles (JCGV) Memorandum of Understanding that the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is pursuing with our U.S. Army counterparts. Marines and Soldiers often fight side-by-side and do so exceptionally well. As the Army and USMC acquisition civilians supporting them, we must do the same. It starts with initiatives like the JCGV that help bridge the cultural differences and foster better working relationships and outcomes.

Let me begin with how we arrived at the idea of a Joint Center for Ground Vehicles by way of covering a few key developments. Since

the Detroit Arsenal is widely considered to be the Department of Defense “hub” or “center-of-mass” for ground vehicle development, Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEO LS) has begun to use the facilities and engineering expertise there and throughout the Army in support of Marine Corps programs as much as practical. One of our assigned programs, the

Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), was named in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure [BRAC] language to be part of the stand up of a Joint Ground Vehicle Center of Excellence at the Detroit Arsenal.

Internally, the PEO (Bill Taylor) and I looked at this language and both of us came to the same conclusion: Why just EFV? Why not do this right and include all USMC ground vehicle programs? Having a center of gravity at the Detroit Arsenal for ground vehicles just made perfect sense to us. We needed to leverage that investment made by the Army. The Marine Corps will never have the level of resources the Army does and must, therefore, look to the Army for certain types of support. Our PEO has done this with the Navy labs with great success in other areas such as radar and command and control technology needs.While the name JCGV is new, the

31

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

The key to making the JCGV work will be how it’s governed. We must bring the stakeholders and decision-makers together to make more-informed decisions at the enterprise level, maximizing available resources and knowledge.

construct builds on the existing joint programs that have successfully leveraged the analytical capabilities at the Detroit Arsenal, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP) program, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program that is well into the Technology Demonstration phase, and the programs in the Robotic Systems Joint Program Office (RS JPO). Moving the RS JPO to the Detroit Arsenal was a key BRAC-mandated Joint Center of Excellence construct component. What is different is that now we are poised to take ground vehicle development and acquisition to a new level, where we as a ground vehicle community look at commonality across platforms and services, and we develop shared analytical services between us, because we are governing ourselves and we know it is the right thing to do.

The key to making the JCGV work will be how it’s governed. We must bring the stakeholders and decision-

makers together to make more-informed decisions at the enterprise level, maximizing available resources and knowledge. To that effect, the JCGV Governance Board consists of the heads of Program Executive Office (PEO) Combat Support and Combat Service Support, PEO Ground Combat Systems, PEO Land Systems and PEO Integration; the Directors of the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and the Office of Naval Research; and the Deputy Commanders of the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and Marine Corps Systems Command. Bringing those leaders together forms the right group to start making serious decisions for the Nation’s ground vehicle fleet.

Having previously worked in the Army’s Future Combat Systems program for six years had given me great exposure to and awareness of

the Army’s systems and processes. It also showed me that there is still work to be done in terms of bringing the community together. To do so means we must look beyond the difficulties of the past and focus on the future, which is where the JCGV will help.

Working through the JCGV will create efficiencies by consolidating resources and focusing efforts between the services. It will allow us to leverage the available resources of each organization to build and improve upon what already exists versus duplicating efforts. Having the services work together will provide better solutions and save money, which translates to more resources available for equipping the warfighter.

The JCGV will be able to pull everyone together to strategize at the enterprise level and look at the portfolio of ground vehicle systems under development in a

32

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

By working together with the Army through the JCGV, the USMC will be able to leverage the ground vehicle resources already in place to help develop vehicles such as the Marine Personnel Carrier and improve currently fielded platforms. (USMC photo by Cpl Jesse Johnson.)

deliberate and meaningful way. This will also help us establish a single authoritative voice that can provide the comprehensive ground community perspective to decision makers. The warfighter does not care where a good piece of equipment or technology comes from if it serves his or her needs well. It is possible to design, develop and field systems that support both services without sacrificing key requirements differences. This is a key factor in building strong working relationships and a spirit of cooperation. We need the best minds and efforts coming together to make more-informed decisions and, ultimately, produce more affordable and quality systems.

In the past, such cohesion would have been incredibly difficult to achieve. Since each individual program acted in a vacuum for the most part, it was hard to form a community consensus or resolve complex issues. I believe this is why there have been numerous independent studies of the work we do. Inevitably these studies tend to be expensive, non-value-added for the warfighter and conducted by analysts as opposed to ground systems subject-matter experts (SMEs).

In many ways, we have brought this on ourselves by behaving independently and essentially losing the trust of senior leadership because they were unable to get a timely and consistent answer when inquiring about ground vehicles.

One of the reasons for this was a lack of information. It was easier to work in stovepipes than to find out what’s happening with partner agencies. The JCGV will play the central role that had been previously missing by disseminating data and helping us engage one another. Being able to speak as one enterprise is critical to regaining trust so that senior leaders can look to the JCGV for answers to questions that impact multiple programs or family of vehicles.

Every day we deal with complex issues that are going to shape future ground vehicle strategy, which provides yet another reason why speaking with a single voice through the JCGV is so critical. We will require the horsepower of the entire cohesive enterprise to address these challenges.

When I see a military man or woman in uniform, I see one of America’s sons or daughters; I don’t see a unique service. I care about each of them equally as we cannot predict what service any of our children

will ultimately join, if they choose to do so. I, therefore, care about every piece of gear or vehicle that ultimately gets fielded, regardless of the service. It is this mindset I hope to bring to the JCGV governance that causes a community to look beyond the programs they manage and seek to improve the whole. There are only so many SMEs to go around. We need to put them on the right tasks at the right time, regardless of what PEO or service program is running it. This is at the heart of what the JCGV is all about.

33

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

USMC Deputy Program Executive Officer Land Systems Daniel Pierson believes the JCGV will help bridge cultural differences, produce better outcomes and foster better working relationships between other branches of the military. (PEO LS photo).

Working through the JCGV will create efficiencies by consolidating resources and focusing efforts between the services. It will allow us to leverage the available resources of each organization to build and improve upon what already exists versus duplicating efforts.

AUTHORBIO:Daniel piersonistheUSMCDeputyProgramExecutiveOfficerforPEOLandSystems.Hehasmorethan28yearsexperienceasanacquisitionprofessionalwithsystemsengineering,modelingandsimulation,softwareengineering,instrumentationsystems,trainingsystemsandprogrammanagement.HejoinedPEOLSinApril2007.Priortothisassignment,PiersonservedontheJointStaffJ8(2005-2007)workingspecialprojectsfortheJointRequirementsOversightCouncilandwastheDepartmentoftheArmyServiceCoordinatorfortheFutureCombatSystems(FCS)program(2003-2005),oneofthelargestDoDacquisitionprogramstodate.HealsoservedinmultipleleadershipcapacitiesfortheArmy’sFCSprogramasDirectorofModelingandSimulation(1999-2000)andDirectorofSystemsEngineeringandIntegration(2000-2002).HeisaLevelIIIacquisitionprofessionalcertifiedinbothSystemsPlanning,Research,DevelopmentandEngineeringandinProgramManagement.HeholdsaB.S.inelectricalengineeringfromWilkesUniversityandanM.S.inmanagementoftechnologyfromStevensInstituteofTechnology.HeisalsoagraduateoftheArmyManagementStaffCollege,theIndustrialCollegeoftheArmedForcesandhasearnedanM.S.innationalresourcestrategy.

34

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

The Marine Corps’ versatile Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) has been a workhorse, but it needs upgrades to maintain its muscle. U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and Army engineers are modernizing an LAV-Recovery (LAV-R) vehicle to demonstrate new capabilities and eventually upgrade the fleet.By Tim Brohl and Michael I. Roddin

U.S. Marines assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion patrol Nineveh Province, Iraq, in their LAV-25 amphibious infantry fighting vehicle during a week-long interdiction and screening operation. (USMC photo by LCpl Brian A. Kinne.)

DOING THE HEAVYLIFTING

The LAV has stoically served the USMC for 25 years. An 8-wheeled platform, the LAV has provided U.S. Marines uncompromising mobility, toughness and versatility, and the capability to maneuver on land and in amphibious operations.But after 2-plus decades of

near-constant service and the ever-emerging requirements of overseas contingency operations (OCOs) and littoral/expeditionary operations, the sure-footed LAV is facing the same challenges as other Department of Defense (DoD) legacy systems — subcomponent

obsolescence and dwindling supplies of spare parts. The vehicle’s end-of-service date is Dec. 31, 2025, which means USMC logisticians and sustainers must take action today to ensure these vehicles continue to serve Marines effectively, wherever contingencies take them. According

or overturned vehicles, including disabled LAVs. It can upright even heavier vehicles, switch to amphibious capability in the field and can be transported by C-130 aircraft. These capabilities make the LAV-R a vital USMC ground vehicle fleet salvage and rescue platform. PM LAV is leading this effort from the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, MI.

OBSERVING THE LIMITATIONSToday, as new armor and capabilities are added to vehicles, the LAV-R requires significantly more power. Integrating the Ballistic Protection Upgrade Package onto LAVs noticeably increased their weight and reduced the LAV-R’s lifting and towing capabilities. The original LAV-R design did not account for the higher weight thresholds and operational demands that would be placed on currently deployed LAVs.

When the USMC LAV operational advisory group met and reviewed the difficulties the LAV-R faced, they agreed the LAV-R mission suite needed modernization. After a detailed analysis, the USMC determined the three key components that LAV-Rs would require for ready, reliable and relevant service: • An improved capability

winch with greater pulling capabilities and improved subsystem supportability.

• An improved capability generator that will improve

35

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

to Linda Passeri, Platforms Upgrade Product Manager within the Light Armored Vehicle Program Office, by working with its Ground Systems Enterprise partners and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), the PM began a

program to systematically improve and upgrade 45 LAV-R platforms.LAV-Rs were derived from the LAV-25, which carries a weapons system turret for battlefield operations. The LAV-R variant has a crane and winch and was designed to recover and tow other damaged

“These upgrades will improve functionality and supportability, therefore reducing the time required for repairs while increasing ease of operation.”— Linda Passeri

PM LAV Platforms Upgrade Product Manager

subsystem supportability and supply power for the electric tools and welding system.

• A hydraulic system upgrade to support the vehicle.

An improved crane to increase boom rigidity, lifting capabilities and subsystem reliability will be pursued at a later date to complete the LAV-R upgrade project.

PM ENGINEERS LAV-R UPGRADE (LAVRU) PROGRAMLimited funding, along with the technology challenges, led PM LAV to seek out a government partner

to help alleviate costs, while still providing the best possible support.Exact requirements and performance goals need to be established before creating or improving vehicles. PM LAV partnered with TARDEC to create the necessary requirements for upgrading the LAV-R for current operational environments. With a government partner, as opposed to an industry partner, PM LAV was able to eliminate the need for several contracts. Using TARDEC also mitigated risks associated with vehicle testing.

TARDEC, in turn, looked to its Center for Ground Vehicle

Development and Integration (CGVDI). CGVDI is responsible for design, fabrication, integration and support of materiel solutions and overall project management required by TARDEC’s Program Executive Office and PM partners. The CGVDI leverages capabilities from across TARDEC, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) engineering centers, other DoD organizations and industry. The CGVDI uses consistent, repeatable processes to apply rigorous systems engineering to ground vehicle and ground systems integration.

Setting requirements is critical for industry to meet the necessary upgrades for current LAV-Rs. While high-level requirements may push capabilities to new heights, they may also be technologically impossible or not feasible today. Without proper systems engineering, other requirements may negatively impact performance or otherwise compromise the LAV-R’s mission. To ensure feasibility, TARDEC’s CGVDI provided modeling, simulation and other tools to help guide the requirements process.

To upgrade the LAV-R’s lift capability, TARDEC assisted in setting requirements. With the current vehicle, it takes several movements to lift vehicles to safety. The upgraded mission suite hopes to reduce the required movements, improving efficiency and reducing time to complete each upload mission. As TARDEC and PM LAV developed vehicle requirements, they needed to keep these considerations in mind, and maintain current vehicle capabilities and expectations for the current technology readiness level. “These upgrades will improve functionality and supportability, therefore reducing the time required for repairs while increasing ease of operation,” Passeri remarked. “Additionally, this upgrade is being accomplished without increasing the overall vehicle weight.”

36

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

A USMC 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion convoy road marches to its forward operating base during OperationDesertShield. An LAV-R vehicle is in the foreground. As parts become obsolete, repairing and resetting these aging vehicles becomes harder. To address these issues, PM LAV and TARDEC are developing upgrades for the winch, crane and generator systems to modernize LAV-Rs for OCOs. (USMC photo by Cpl D. Haynes.)

“CGVDI has experience in performing similar integration efforts on MRAP vehicles and mission suite upgrades on other ground vehicles. The close proximity within U.S. Army TACOM LCMC has allowed us to forge a partnership that utilized TARDEC’s engineering expertise, the PM’s extensive vehicle knowledge and permits critical input from the LAV Marines within the PM office.”— Linda Passeri

PM LAV Platforms Upgrade Product Manager

CONDUCTING VEHICLE ANALYSES AND TRADE-OFFSAs PM LAV and TARDEC observed how each addition impacted the entire vehicle system — from survivability to performance — CGVDI engineers conducted trade-off analyses. The systems engineering approach analyzed LAV-R requirements and ensured the platform would remain functional. Using specified trade-offs, engineers reached the upgraded program’s goals without compromising existing capabilities or creating

unexpected vehicle impacts.After extensive modeling and analysis, PM LAV and TARDEC created a priority matrix that weighed reliability, maintainability and other factors to assist evaluation. Once TARDEC submitted the requirements, PM LAV approved them.

Contracts for the upgrades were awarded in late September 2010. After acquiring the necessary components, PM LAV will turn again to CGVDI for integration and testing. TARDEC has already

begun integrating parts onto LAV-Rs. Integration efforts are scheduled to continue through first quarter, FY12. Initial operations capability may be possible as early as third quarter, FY12.

IMPROVING GROUND VEHICLE CAPABILITIESPM LAV turned to TARDEC for a number of reasons. “TARDEC’s CGVDI has experience in performing similar integration efforts on Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected [MRAP] vehicles and mission suite upgrades on other ground vehicles,” Passeri noted. “The close proximity within U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command [LCMC] has allowed us to forge a partnership that utilized TARDEC’s engineering expertise, the PM’s extensive vehicle knowledge and permits critical input from the LAV Marines within the PM office.”

PM LAV agreed with TARDEC’s assessment that LAVRU has been an innovative, expedient and

37

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

A LAV logistics vehicle (left) and a LAV-R support sustainment operations along a stretch of barren real estate in northern Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. (USMC photo by SSgt M.D. Masters.)

A U.S. Marine provides suppressive fire for Royal Thai Marines from his LAV during a combined-arms live-fire exercise at Exercise Cobra Gold in Thailand. The USMC LAVs have experienced near-constant service over the past 25 years. The LAVRU program will help the USMC modernize their vehicle recovery fleet. (USMC photo by LCpl Michael E. Warren.)

38

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

efficient process and that it will allow for a competitive and cost-effective acquisition process.

At PM LAV’s request, TARDEC accelerated the design and requirements review process. PM LAV also requested that TARDEC provide any interface hardware designs, ultimately lowering initial and legacy costs associated with the upgrade. PM LAV cited TARDEC’s highly knowledgeable systems engineering and integration staff as the reason they chose

to work with the CGVDI. Upgrading the components makes it easier and quicker to repair damaged vehicles and return them to the field. LAVs have proven their battle-worthiness since their introduction in 1985, and subsequent combat operations in 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama. LAVs are currently deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom. The new mission suites will enhance the LAV-R’s capabilities, modernizing them for continued operational support

to other LAVs and combat and tactical ground vehicle fleets.

AUTHOR BIOS:TiM broHl is a Project Lead Engineer in the CGVDI. Brohl is the current Project Lead Engineer for the LAV-R upgrade project. Brohl holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan’s Horace H. Rackham College of Engineering and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III-certified in the Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering career field and Level I-certified in the Program Management career field.

MicHael i. roDDin is the accelerate Magazine and GVSET News Editor-in-Chief. He holds B.S. degrees in English and journalism from the University of Maine and an M.S. in marketing from the University of Southern California. Roddin is a former Army Advertising Program Manager and 3-time Army Keith L. Ware Journalism Award recipient. In 2005, he was selected by the Secretary of the Army for Editor-of-the-Year honors.

Marines from Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon, Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, drive their LAV through the challenging Maneuver Assault Course at Fort Pickett, VA, prior to deployment. The versatile 8-wheeled LAV maintains highway speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, climbs 60-degree inclines and rides 30-degree side slopes. Ongoing systems integration will extend the LAV and LAV-R vehicle fleet’s service life. (USMC photo by Cpl Theodore Ritchie.)

A LAV from Company D, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance, tears through a field toward a hardball road. The LAV has eight wheels, carries a capacity of six riflemen and a 3-man crew and boasts a 25 mm machine-gun turret. TARDEC supports PM LAV to upgrade Marine Corps LAV-Rs. (USMC photo by Cpl Geoffrey Ingersoll.)

Combat Developer CD & I/OPNAV/CFFV

R & D - Research and DevelopmentS & T - Science and Technology ONR - Office of Naval Research MCSC - Marine Corps System CommandPEO LS - Program Executive Office Land SystemsHQMC - Headquarters Marine Corps

Technology Developer (S&T) ONR

Plan & Execute Technology Discovery, Invention and Exploitation Programs.

Collaborate with Services, Agencies, Industry &

Academia

MCOTEA - Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity DoN - Department of Navy CD&I - Combat Development & IntegrationOPNAV - Office of the Chief of Naval OperationsCFFV - Clean Fuel Fleet Vehicle

R&D, Apply Technology, Transition Technology.

Insert Technology, Procurement Fielding

O&S

Capabilities Futures Concepts to Requirements

S&T Objectives (STOs) Modernization

Material Developer MCSC/PEO LS

HQMC AdvocatesA

TECOM MCWL

MCOTEA(OT&E)

Warfare Centers, Industry, Academia

DARPAMARFORs

Strategic Guidance DoD

Joint DoN HQMC Informed

Resourced

The Cheshire cat gave Alice in Wonderland some sage advice. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

Fortunately, Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEO LS) has

no such problem in that regard. The organization knows exactly where it wants to go, on which road it will travel and with whom it will make the journey. That was documented in its 2009 Advanced Technology Investment Plan

(ATIP), which was updated in 2010, and will be updated annually.

“This ATIP demonstrates our continued focus on concept-aligned, capability-based technology transitions into programs of record

39

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

UsMc, arMY anD onr looK aHeaDPEO Land Systems’ Advanced Technology Investment Plan outlines high-priority, high-tech needs for the ground force.By Mike Halloran and Debbie DiCesare

Acronyms:

and is designed to foster collaboration, align science and technology [S&T] investments, and support effective technology insertion within PEO LS programs,” remarked Program Executive Officer Land Systems William E. Taylor.

This 2010 ATIP is not intended to serve as an S&T campaign plan or process directive. The ATIP is tied directly to the referenced plans and processes and facilitates the engagement of all associated stakeholders to inform S&T planning “early and often,” and maximize process effect. It is expected that adjustments to the process and noted issues, technologies and focus areas will require updates and associated changes. The intent is to revise issues as required and publish the PEO LS ATIP on an annual basis to inform key stakeholders and better assist PEO LS Program Mangers resolve their top technical issues.

The ATIP identifies and prioritizes the top technical issues within PEO LS with the goal of informing, influencing and aligning S&T investment to resolve program technical issues and support transition of critical capabilities to the warfighter.PEO LS has key initiatives including

the Joint Center for Ground Vehicles (JCGV) and a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) System Integration Lab (SIL) at the U.S. Army Detroit Arsenal, Warren, MI, to maximize efficiencies within the S&T enterprise.

With the JCGV startup, PEO LS and Marine Corps Systems Command have gained a critical asset to bring new capabilities to Marine vehicle systems. Formed from various sections of TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, including PEO Ground Combat Systems, PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support, PEO Integration and U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Army and Marine Corp leaders now have the ability to maximize efficiencies, align resources and increase commonality to provide state-of-the-art technology to the warfighter.The JCGV and MTVR SIL will leverage joint expertise as PEO LS addresses new Technology Focus Areas aimed at developing a common Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR ) backbone, as well as power/thermal management capabilities for Marine Corps tactical vehicles.

“The JCGV’s role is to provide the centralized governance needed to manage the enterprise portfolio collaboratively, synchronize technology development, establish common goals and principles, drive efficiencies that will reduce costs, align resources and initiatives, and foster open communication,” remarked PEO LS Deputy Dan Pierson.

PEO LS successfully identified potential S&T initiatives for its platforms. The Fuel-Efficient MTVR Future Naval Capability is a prime example, where potential capability enhancements were identified and leveraged via active engagement within the S&T enterprise and strongly supported by

Office of Naval Research (ONR) leaders, resulting in a $19 million investment in capability for our warfighters.

Additional efforts include developing and submitting new enabling capabilities for the MTVR Modular Vehicle Platform and establishing the MTVR SIL, located with the JCGV. Many accomplishments can be credited to active stakeholder engagement upon ATIP publication and distribution.

The ATIP’s primary audience is the Department of Navy, United States Marine Corps (USMC) and “3-Circle” stakeholder membership as seen in the figure. It’s also intended to serve as an engagement and information resource for all S&T developers within the Department of Defense, industry and academia.

TOP TECHNICAL ISSUESPEO LS’ top technical issues were vetted through the appropriate S&T representative, lead engineer, deputy PM and PM to accurately represent their highest-priority technology needs in the ATIP. Technical issues included:• Expeditionary Fighting

Vehicle: weight, crew visibility, increased survivability.

• Joint Light Tactical Vehicle: weight/armor, reliability, 40

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“The JCGV’s role is to provide the centralized governance needed to manage the enterprise portfolio collaboratively, synchronize technology development, establish common goals and principles, drive efficiencies that will reduce costs, align resources and initiatives, and foster open communication.”— Dan Pierson

Deputy Program Executive Officer PEO LS

“This ATIP demonstrates our continued focus on concept-aligned, capability-based technology transitions into programs of record and is designed to foster collaboration, align S&T investments and support effective technology insertion within PEO LS programs.” — William E. Taylor

Program Executive Officer PEO Land Systems

availability, maintainability (RAM), M&S, seat shock/vibration.

• Marine Personnel Carrier: 8x8 vehicle stability controls, survivability, onboard and exportable power.

• Logistics Vehicle System Replacement: fuel economy, current and future PEO Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) integration demands, increased survivability.

• MTVR: fuel economy, current and future C4I integration demands, increased survivability.

• Common Aviation Command Control System: global track manager database, hardware/ infrastructure design, multiple interface formats.

• AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar: lower manufacturing costs, transmit/receive module efficiency (power), GaN reliability.

• XM777 Lightweight 155mm Howitzer: modular artillery charge system (MACS) compatibility with M777 A2 Howitzer, power upgrades, thermal warning device reliability.

S&T FOCUS AREASThe S&T focus areas are meant to highlight mission-essential, cross-cutting and actionable areas of focused S&T investment and engagement. These technology focuses will help inform and influence high-priority S&T technology investment decisions, resolve technical issues and support the transition of warfighter capability. The 2010 ATIP includes two new technology focus areas: C4ISR and Power/Thermal Management for tactical vehicles. Other focus areas include:• Power and Energy: Technologies that

expand overall Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) capability by increasing the availability/capability of battlefield power while decreasing the logistic footprint.

• Fuel Efficiency: Technologies that can enhance vehicle performance and capability while reducing battlefield fuel consumption. Gains in this area may also have significant impact on the

MAGTF’s logistics footprint.• Survivability and Mobility:

Technologies that increase survivability for both the Marine and the vehicle. These technologies include advanced lightweight armor concepts and upgraded drive and suspension systems.

• Modeling and Simulation: Tools to facilitate a systems engineering approach to platform design and evaluate potential design/technology trade-offs for tactical wheeled vehicles. These trade-offs will address performance, payload, crew protection, life cycle costs, survivability and RAM.

• Fuel Containment/ Fire Suppression: Technologies that safely extinguish internal and external vehicle fires without adversely affecting the crew; preferably a system-of-systems approach that provides fire suppression and/or containment for the vehicle cab, crew, tires, fuel tank and engine compartment.

• Common C4ISR Vehicle Architecture: The development of an open source, open architecture specification for networked (internally and externally) vehicles that allows plug-and-play mission capabilities. Due to the proliferation of equipment used aboard tactical vehicles, situational awareness (SA) is not optimized, equipment is not integrated and the arrangement of the equipment is less than ideal in the vehicle cab. This creates challenges for long-term sustainment, power management, crew SA, comfort and safety.

• Power/Thermal Management: Heat generated by the electronic equipment onboard tactical vehicles must be dissipated to improve reliability and prevent premature failure of critical electronic components. The goal is to improve power management and efficiency, system performance and reduce crew burden by automating various functions relative to power/thermal management.

The 2010 ATIP will help PEO LS leverage available S&T venues to “Focus the Future Faster” for the warfighter.

41

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

AUTHOR BIOS:MiKe Halloran is Director of Science and Technology at PEO Land Systems. He joined PEO LS in August 2008. He has served for more than 33 years as an acquisition professional under a wide variety of programs.

He holds a B.S. degree in ocean engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. He also holds a master’s degree in counseling from Corpus Christi State University.

In 2008, he received the Marine Corps Systems Command “Commander’s Excellence in Engineering Award” and is a two-time recipient of the Packard Award for Acquisition Excellence from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology for his work on the MRAP and AAV RAM Rebuild Program. Halloran has also received the Civilian Service Achievement Medal by the Secretary of the Army for his work on the Joint Lightweight 155 program.

Debbie Dicesare is the Associate Director for Ground Domain Planning and Integration since July 2010. She oversees and is responsible for TARDEC’s planning function and portfolio management. She began her Army civilian career in 1993 and joined TARDEC in 1995. She has held a variety of key positions in TARDEC prior to her current role.

DiCesare holds a B.S. degree in physics and a minor in mathematics from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. In both 1992 and 1993, DiCesare was recognized as a James B. Angell Scholar. DiCesare is senior certified as a Systems Planner, Research, and Development Engineer and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corp.

In the past, when a roadside bomb blasted a small crater in the path of a route clearance patrol vehicle, Soldiers had to risk leaving their vehicle to refill the hole and make the road passable.

“There was no way to get through, except for 15 to 20 Soldiers to get out with entrenching tools and fill in the hole while exposed to small arms fire,” explained SFC Richard P. McKee, who met with U.S.

Army Field Assistance in Science and Technology (FAST) Science and Technology Assistance Team (STAT) members in Afghanistan.

Soldiers relayed this information to U.S. Army FAST STAT, the rapid response engineering group. FAST STAT members have a fundamental goal to engage Soldiers and Marines in theater and ask them what they need to increase survival and mission effectiveness. Recently, TARDEC

engineers delivered the solution to the above problem — the MRAP (Mine- Resistant Ambush-Protected) Blade.

The MRAP Blade is a plow-like grading tool based on the Iron Scrape, a pre-existing piece of equipment that the team felt could resolve the challenge with slight modifications to fit the MRAP. If it proved effective during testing, it would also save significant time and money.

42

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

MaKing THe graDeSoldiers needed a tool that would refill blast-damaged roads to help them clear patrol routes safely. Thanks to the Army’s rapid response centers, they got the MRAP Blade.By John Niemeyer and David Cobane

Engineers in the field can mount the MRAP Blade using the same method as the Self-Protective Adaptive Roller Kit (SPARK) attachment. The vehicle operator can control the blade from inside the MRAP cab, allowing Soldiers to fill holes in minutes instead of hours — all from the safety of their armored vehicles.

IDEAS ON THE FAST TRACKIdeas for new military technology emerge from many places. However, many recent breakthroughs originated in FAST STAT fashion through direct interaction with Soldiers and Marines.

FAST STAT teams meet Soldiers face-to-face at their Forward Operating Bases. They find out

the Soldiers’ needs by asking fundamental questions, such as, “What happened yesterday?” During a unit-assistance visit in mid-2010, LTC Nathan Wiedenman, now a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and SFC McKee, who’s now at the Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, explained their dilemma. At the time, Wiedenman was the Science Technology Advisor for Regional Command East and McKee served as FAST STAT Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge.

“Having the science and technology and research and development guys, the RDECOM [U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command] guys, able to talk with

Soldiers and provide feedback is incredible. When we told the Soldiers we were from RDECOM, they asked, ‘Who?’ Once we told them what we were there for, they said, ‘That’s fantastic. Here’s what my equipment does,’” Wiedenman explained.

One engineer told them about a previous mission where an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated. There were no serious injuries or equipment damage, but the route clearance patrol was forced to a halt.

The engineers explained that they needed a way to fill in those holes without putting Soldiers in more danger. Wiedenman and McKee drew up a Request for Information

43

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Facing page: U.S. Army combat engineers hand fill an IED blast site with boulders, rocks and cement to resume civilian and military vehicle traffic along a main supply route in the Konar River Valley, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, during Operation Bastogne Baaz, last summer. With the deployment of MRAP Blades, Soldiers won’t have to fill crater holes by hand. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Victor Egorov.)

U.S. Army SGT Carl Logan, a Husky route clearance vehicle operator, 59th Mobility Augmentation Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, checks his vehicle fluid levels at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Lagman, Afghanistan. This rake-equipped Husky is used to find and neutralize buried land mines and IEDs on major convoy routes. The MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle directly behind the Husky has a SPARK roller mounted on the front end. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Stephen Schester.)

(RFI) and submitted it to RDECOM. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center’s (TARDEC’s) Quick Reaction Cell (QRC) — which was created to take action on such direct and urgent requests from the field — shouldered the task. Wiedenman and McKee stated that up to 40 percent of RFIs they filed were tasked to TARDEC.

TURNING AN RFI INTO A CAPABILITYThe QRC immediately determined TARDEC’s Mechanical Counter Mine Team (MCMT) should be involved because they have an exceptional record at resolving related issues. The MCMT immediately recommended the Iron Scrape as a possible solution and followed through with approval from Product Manager Assured Mobility Systems (PM AMS) to install the technology on the vehicles.

To conduct the testing, the MCMT turned to a longtime partner,

Michigan Technological University’s Keweenaw Research Center (KRC). Because of existing relationships and proximity, the team launched the testing with just a phone call.

The testing at KRC showed the attachment could readily meet Soldiers’ needs. TARDEC took the existing hardware, made simple modifications and renamed it “MRAP Blade.”

McKee and Wiedenman have remained in constant communication with TARDEC and RDECOM. “We took [suggestions for the Blade] to the units and presented it to other units,” McKee recalled. This put TARDEC’s engineers in contact with end users, who provided insight into how the tool would be used in the field.

The constant contact provided real-time collaboration. Weekly teleconferences allowed Wiedenman and McKee to get updates about the project’s status, and RDECOM members in the meeting could interject and provide insights, which made the process more efficient. “One of the keys was the good relationship TARDEC had with the PM shops,” Wiedenman asserted. “We were able to get lots of information and good insight thanks to that.”

The Army fielded a material solution in less than 90 days from the time the QRC received the RFI. Three weeks of that was shipping time. All feedback was positive, and the units that used the

44

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Husky vehicle mechanics in Afghanistan perform scheduled maintenance. This Husky route clearance vehicle has been fitted with the MCMT’s latest counter-mine technology, which allows warfighters to more quickly respond to IED blasts, reducing total time on target. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of Kevin James.)

These products made it to the field quickly because the Army Materiel Command and the community supporting the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology worked together to get warfighters solutions to help accomplish their missions.

MRAP Blades for the Operational Assessment had no complaints.

McKee reported that, “One unit had the opportunity to use [the MRAP Blade] in a blast situation, and it filled the crater in less than two minutes. No Soldier had to get out of the vehicle.”

HUSKY RAKE IMPROVES ROUTE CLEARANCEAnother RFI came to TARDEC’s QRC to provide the Husky Vehicle Mounted Mine Detector with a tool to locate IEDs that were previously difficult to locate. Engineers devised the Husky Rake to allow the vehicle to better search environments in theater and identify potential threats.

The device mounts to the Husky’s back using a system similar to the SPARK with a commercial off-the-shelf winch. The system has a 24-volt power requirement and weighs 750 pounds. It is operable from inside the vehicle. Prototypes have been tested and validated, showing a high degree of success. The rake provides the Husky operator with an additional tool to find IEDs.

TARDEC built two prototypes in collaboration with PM AMS for the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Center’s (ATEC’s) testing at KRC in October 2010. The tools proved successful in digging up and uncovering IED components. The rake was tested in soil similar to realistic operating conditions overseas. By Christmas 2010, rakes had been shipped to the field to protect Soldiers. There are currently 46 Husky Rakes in theater, and more than 30 additional systems are scheduled to be bought and shipped.

COLLABORATION DRIVES SOLUTIONS TO WARFIGHTERThese products made it to the field quickly because the Army Materiel Command (AMC) and the community supporting the

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology ((ASA)ALT) worked together to get warfighters solutions to help accomplish their missions.

Getting this technology to theater quickly helped put Soldiers’ minds at ease. In just minutes, the MRAP blade repaired a damaged road that would have taken Soldiers hours to fill by hand. The difference between repairing a damaged road with the MRAP Blade compared to Soldiers with shovels filling holes by hand is roughly one minute 30 seconds versus hours.Wiedenman acknowledged the rapid response was possible due to TARDEC’s ability to adapt the Iron Scrape to the MRAP Blade. “The folks at TARDEC deserve credit for their cleverness in repurposing an existing project to a new use. With a few tweaks, they delivered it rapidly to theater. They got it there in a hurry; this was fantastic.”

Through collaboration, the FAST STAT, PM AMS, ATEC and TARDEC teams used these innovations to provide timely solutions to route clearance challenges that proved to be inexpensive, rapidly deployable,

easy to install and, ultimately, will save warfighters’ lives.“The STAT is a go-between for RDECOM and the Soldiers downrange,” McKee emphasized. “The Soldiers ask a question and feed it to us. We take it to RDECOM to find the best solution for what the unit is doing. We appreciate everything RDECOM does to help us help Soldiers,” he concluded.

45

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“The STAT is a go-between for RDECOM and the Soldiers downrange. The Soldiers ask a question and feed it to us. We take it to RDECOM to find the best solution for what the unit is doing. We appreciate everything RDECOM does to help us help Soldiers.”— SFC Richard P. McKee

Former FAST STAT Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge

The MRAP Blade is a tool developed by the TARDEC QRC and TARDEC MCMT in partnership with PM AMS. The Blade has already begun testing in the field and will reduce the risks to which Soldiers are exposed. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

AUTHOR BIOS:MaJ (reT.) JoHn nieMeYer is a TARDEC General Engineer and Mechanical Countermine Teams Program Manager (PM). Niemeyer’s team provides engineering support to PM IED Defeat/Protect Force, and conducts research and development for improved countermine /IED technology. He holds a B.S. degree in aeronautical technology from Purdue University and is a U.S. Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) member. He has several years of counter-IED equipment development and integration experience while working for TARDEC.

DaviD cobane is an AAC-certified TARDEC Quick Reaction Cell Operations Analyst. He holds a B.S. degree in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University and has nine years of military operations experience as an Army infantry officer.

46

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

When Marines in Afghanistan needed to cross the surging Helmand River, TARDEC engineers partnered with TACOM’s New Equipment Training team and embedded warfighters to quickly develop a solution before the rains poured down.By Brian Hornbeck, Kenneth Hare and Robert Marchese

connecTions

bUilD briDges

U.S. Soldiers and Marines can ford a 330-foot-wide span of the 715-mile long Helmand River most of the year, but during the rainy season the Afghan river’s width triples, its current quickens and its depth increases significantly. Trying to drive or raft vehicles across during this seasonal surge would endanger warfighters’ lives and risk the loss of valuable equipment.

The U.S. Army, Marines and Navy responded to that challenge. In less than three months, an Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) emplacement allowed Soldiers and Marines safe passage across the Helmand River to conduct operational missions from either bank. The bridge construction was tested beyond its projected limits as the bridge-building teams witnessed downpours that swelled the river to daunting levels, but the bridge held. Warfighters carried on with their missions, and the joint collaboration proved once again that armies cannot win without resourceful technology and engineering to provide urgent, yet competent support in overcoming obstacles. The Helmand is Afghanistan’s longest

river, winding down the Hindu Kush Mountains and through the Dashti Margo Desert before emptying near the Afghan-Iranian border. Improved Ribbon Bridges (IRBs) — floating modular bridges designed for highly mobile combat forces — are effective solutions for keeping warfighters mobile. The IRB design allows for sections to be linked together using Bridge Erection Boats (BEBs) to move equipment as a rafting operation, or it can be temporarily emplaced between opposite river banks. Constructing a full-closure bridge for the gap would require a solid anchor to hold the IRB sections in place against the surging river. Typically BEBs are used to anchor the IRBs, but the Marines needed a better way to anchor the bridge, or they would be unable to cross the surging Helmand River and effectively complete their missions.

Warfighters solicited U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Reachback Operations Center (UROC) assistance last November. Partners across the military worked closely, both at home and in theater, to develop, field and construct a solution before the February-March rainy season arrived.

RESURRECTING LEGACY EQUIPMENT The UROC brought the request to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center’s (TARDEC’s) Bridging Team. Stationed in Warren, MI, the team contacted the U.S. Navy 3rd Naval Construction Regiment (3NCR) in Afghanistan, which served as the team’s eyes in the field. “We needed to better understand the environment and know what the area looked like, how far the span was and what type of velocity existed,” remarked TARDEC Bridging Team IRB Lead Engineer Rafik Quteibi. “We established teleconferences with all of our points of contact and started discussing the area and throwing out possible solutions.”

Based on gap width, water speed and depth, and the river’s near- and far-shore bank heights, the team concluded that the best solution for anchoring the IRB would involve using legacy overhead cable systems (OCS).

The OCS uses two opposing towers on the near and far shores that

47

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

An Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) secured with an Overhead Cable System (OCS) stretches across the Helmand River in Afghanistan. TARDEC engineers worked with their Navy and Marine Corps partners to develop a viable solution that allowed combat engineers and Navy Seabees to construct a bridge across the Helmand as Afghanistan’s rainy season loomed in the immediate future. Initial calculations by TACOM LCMC New Equipment Training (NET) Materiel Fielding and Training (MFT) Directorate, and TARDEC Bridging Team engineers determined the IRB could withstand water speeds up to 11 feet per second (fps). Due to snow melt-off and heavy rains in February and March, the Helmand River’s speed increased to 18 fps, but the bridge held strong. (Provided by CPT Daren Wajdak, 814th Multi-Role Bridge Company (MRBC).)

are secured by cables attached to anchors known as “deadmen,” which are buried into the embankment. Three large cables stretch across a full closure placed atop the towers and are anchored to the deadmen, suspending the cables above the water. The IRB bays are connected with a cable intermittently secured through the use of bridle connectors and ropes, creating a floating suspension system. “The OCS’s long-term proven reliability was a major factor,” remarked Gerrit Allen, Team Leader for Bridging and Watercraft Systems New Equipment Training (NET) with the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command’s (LCMC’s) Materiel Fielding & Training (MFT) Directorate. “It had been approved, safety-wise, back in the 1970s and has been used multiple times by Army bridge companies over the past four decades.”

TARDEC engineers developed calculations for the bridge span that were validated by NET Team and provided crucial information based on previous experience with the system. “Once we determined that the OCS was the best option, we calculated the cable length, diameter and how many other parts were needed to make the system complete,” explained Quteibi. “The NET Team had seen this system before, so they were my eyes. They were invaluable.”

COLLABORATION OVERCOMES CHALLENGESWith the calculations complete, the team asked warfighters whether they had the necessary equipment for the emplacement project. As photos and inventory reports rolled in, the apparent answer was “No.” They had rusted cables, equipment that had not been maintained, and an overall shortage of parts. The Bridging

Team would need to quickly provide warfighters with the equipment necessary to construct the OCS.

The team examined the system’s original sets, kits and outfit (SKO) order to determine what components were commercially available. The NET Office played a vital role in validating parts before purchase. “We worked off the SKO descriptions, found the parts and talked to the companies,” Quteibi recalled. “Before we committed to buy, I talked to [Allen] and asked if this was what the part looked like when he was a Soldier. We did that for most of the critical parts that were missing, and it ensured we were getting the right pieces.”

The Bridging Team also had to adapt the design to meet the requirements for crossing the Helmand. “Most of the parts only accommodated wire

48

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Above and facing page: Soldiers from the 814th MRBC practice erecting a bridge tower in preparation for constructing the actual towers that will secure the IRB OCS spanning the Helmand River. TACOM LCMC NET engineers provided warfighters with training materials to prepare them for quickly assembling the system in theater. (Photo by 1LT Dylan Benfield, 814th MRBC.)

rope up to an inch in diameter, but our calculations required a cable that was an inch and a quarter. We had to look up the breaking strength for the wider rope and find the same or greater breaking strength for one-inch rope and roll it up into one order,” Quteibi commented. “The system’s training circular recommended using logs and timbers as deadmen. They didn’t have any of that in theater, but they had Jersey Barriers [a modular concrete barrier typically used to separate lanes of traffic]. We did some quick calculations and determined that if we used two Jersey Barriers, they would provide the holding force and surface area required.”

Government partnerships proved beneficial in securing final components in the first weeks of 2011. “One piece that couldn’t be found commercially was a bridle connector. It’s a very specific and important sub-component. We went to various units, looked at hand receipts and visited the Defense Logistics Agency’s website but couldn’t locate that particular component,” Allen explained. “Through our partnership with the Michigan National Guard, however, somebody there found what

we couldn’t. Down at the Defense Supply Center in Columbus [OH] they had the parts sitting on shelves in one of their warehouses, all brand-new. We were able to reuse a piece of government property that had been sitting on the shelf for 20 years.”

HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN OVERHEAD CABLE SYSTEM IN A FEW EASY LESSONSThe components arrived at the Detroit Arsenal in early January and were shipped to theater on

January 19. As the system was en route, TARDEC’s Bridging Team and the NET managers faced their second challenge — preparing warfighters stationed across the world to quickly assemble the OCS. “The 3rd Naval Construction Regiment didn’t always have ready access to the unit that was going to be doing bridge installation, and the unit itself was still determining its embedded capabilities to understand which non-commissioned officers had actually done this before,”

49

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“[The warfighters] were able to effectively anchor a full closure across a raging river. That’s a huge deal, because the unit there the previous year faced the same issues, and they stopped crossing and rafting, which inhibited their ability to complete their missions on the southern side of the river.”— Gerrit Allen

Bridging and Watercraft Systems NET Team Leader, TACOM LCMC MFT Directorate

remarked Allen. “There was a lack of experience throughout the unit, because this was not a common thing for them to do.” The OCS is legacy equipment that is not formally trained at the schoolhouse anymore. The IRB is normally not installed in water currents as high as those that occurred on the Helmand River and the BEBs have become the main anchor of choice for the bridge.

The NET Team prepared a training circular to guide the Army Soldiers through the assembly process. “We developed a simple yet effective presentation that showed how to create these deadmen using the Jersey Barriers,” Allen commented. “We made an illustration showing how to wrap the cable around the deadmen and leave the cable sticking out of the ground, because what they were digging into wasn’t the most stable earth, but it was very compactable.”

As the equipment arrived, the 814th Multi-Role Bridge Company (MRBC) in Afghanistan began training by setting up the towers in their motor pools. Meanwhile, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) engineers tackled the project’s

potential Achilles’ heel: the near-shore embankment that, if flooded, could bring the entire system toppling down. “We knew this was going to be a major issue. If that embankment flooded, it would be lost,” Quteibi remarked. “ERDC’s soil experts knew how to compact the soil and helped us design an embankment for the tower, based on our calculations. They recommended burying the deadmen as deep as possible, because of concerns that the available soils were mostly silts and sands.”

The OCS was assembled in early February. There was nothing left to do but wait for the rain.

ENDURING NATURE’S FURY In mid-February, the melting mountain snow and seasonal rains

provided the system’s first test. The Helmand surged to 15 feet per second (fps). Although the Army-designed OCS was calculated to hold an IRB in place at speeds of up to 11 fps, the system held strong. “We immediately wanted to know how the near-shore embankment was doing and if it got saturated in the flood,” Quteibi recalled. “The warfighters said that the embankment was fine. It didn’t get saturated and the system had held up.”

The system exceeded engineers’ expectations, but a tougher test was on the way.

On March 4, heavy rains caused the river to surge to 18 fps. The Bridging Team waited anxiously for news on how the system held up, pondering several variables. Were the embankments saturated? Were the towers still standing? Was the legacy equipment able to withstand such a violent stream?

The answer to all their questions was a resounding “Yes.” The system endured the aggressive waters and stood strong. “They anchored boats to secure the bridge, but that’s part of the system. They

50

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“ERDC’s soil experts knew how to compact the soil and helped us design an embankment for the tower, based on our calculations.”— Rafik A. Quteibi

TARDEC Bridging Team IRB Lead Engineer

Two U.S. ARMY M1977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck Common Bridge Transporters (CBTs) are positioned to support warfighters on the Helmand River IRB. (Photo by 1LT Dylan Benfield, 814th MRBC.)

were able to effectively anchor a full closure across a raging river,” Allen stated. “That’s a huge deal, because the unit there the previous year faced the same issues, and they stopped crossing and rafting, which inhibited their ability to complete their missions on the southern side of the river.”

“The fact that we were able to pull this together in a short amount of time and actually have the system

surpass our expectations was really exciting,” Quteibi stated. “I was very pleased with the overall project, especially because it not only stood through 15 fps but also endured 18 fps. This project proved that the legacy equipment can hold its own and will, hopefully, spark interest in other MRBCs to start using and training for other systems.

The solution allowed warfighters to safely cross the Helmand River in harrowing conditions and complete missions on the other side; a feat that was only accomplished through close collaboration and communication between TARDEC, NET and partners in the field. After the rainy season, the Bridge Team began looking for ways to further improve the IRB systems and make them more effective when the rivers begin raging next year. “We’re currently looking to improve the anchor system and redesign the actual towers. We’re developing a kit that would support a 500-meter gap, which is wider than the Helmand right now. We want our warfighters to be able to cross these rivers and complete their missions. That’s what we’re here for,” Quteibi concluded.

51

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Marines roll across the Helmand in their Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs). During the majority of the year, Marines ford and raft their vehicles across the river. Engineers constructed the IRB to help warfighters cross the river during the rainy season when the river swells and the current increases. (Photo by CPT Daren Wajdak, 814th MRBC.)

“The fact that we were able to pull this together in a short amount of time and actually have the system surpass our expectations was really exciting … This project proved that the legacy equipment can hold its own and will, hopefully, spark interest in other MRBCs to start using and training for other systems.”— Rafik A. Quteibi

TARDEC Bridging Team IRB Lead Engineer

AUTHOR BIOS:brian HornbecK is the Deputy Associate Director for Force Projection Technology and has responsibility for Bridging and Combat Engineering Equipment. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from North Carolina State University and is Level III-certified in Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering, and is a U.S. Army Acquisition (AAC) Corps member. He has 30 years experience in bridging research and development.

KenneTH Hare is the Acting Branch Chief for Force Projection NET at the TACOM LCMC in Warren, MI. He has instructor, manager and supervisory experience in the MFT Directorate there. Additionally, he holds an M.A. in English with an emphasis in composition from Western Illinois University. He is Level III certified in Life Cycle Logistics.

roberT MarcHese is System Acquisition Manager for the IRB and Bridge Adaptor Pallet at the TACOM LCMC in Warren, MI. He holds a B.S. in political science from Eastern Michigan University. He is Level III-certified in Program Management, Life Cycle Logistics and Facilities Engineering, and is an AAC member. Marchese is a David Packard Award recipient.

Army technology usually focuses on countermeasures that give our Soldiers an edge over a dangerously adaptable enemy. But another group of researchers targets an enemy that is patient, persistent and often insidious — corrosion.

The Army has identified corrosion as a potential sustainability issue, according to U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Senior Corrosion Engineer (SCE) Scott Porter. “Corrosion is a clear threat to Army vehicles,” Porter remarked.

TARDEC has made corrosion science a high priority, developing strategies to combat the degrading effects of rust and corrosion on vehicles, equipment and facilities. The Materials, Corrosion and Environmental (MCE) team wages a constant vigil against, what the late Herbert H. Uhlig, corrosion authority, defined as, “anything that acts in a destructive manner through chemical interaction between a metal and its environment.”

This focus on corrosion control has its origins with the Department of Defense (DoD) and filters down to the contractors assigned to build the vehicles. DoD leaders recently established the Office of DoD Corrosion Control and

Prevention, and they directed each service to appoint a Corrosion Executive and associated office.

Now that the MCE team is in place at TARDEC, its goal is to educate everyone in the engineering and development chain about the importance of preventing rust and corrosion in the vehicle construction and commercial hardware-making process. “There is a growing awareness about corrosion in various programs,” TARDEC SCE Daniel Nymberg stated. “Program managers are mandated to develop performance-based strategies that optimize system availability while minimizing cost and logistics footprint, and that includes considering corrosion prevention and mitigation.”

The compromising effects on military readiness have been documented.

DoD estimates that corrosion costs the military more than $23 billion a year and takes an estimated 16 percent of all military assets out of action.

MITIGATING CORROSION THROUGH VEHICLE DESIGNMitigation is a systems engineering issue, but the study of corrosion begins with chemistry. TARDEC has employed chemists as subject-matter experts to improve DoD’s ground vehicle fleets. More specifically, experts in electrochemistry, thermo-chemistry and chemical kinetics help researchers understand the corrosion process better.

Along with our systems engineers, chemists and metallurgists evaluate corrosion based on their knowledge and experience in this specialty. They compare field data with accelerated corrosion test results from a wide variety of sources. “Good design will drive maintenance and sustainability,” Porter stated. “We can ensure that the Army gets it cheaper by doing it right the first time.”

The Army is looking at Requests for Proposals to include corrosion-prevention information. Porter and Nymberg add that TARDEC wants to make it formal and insert corrosion-prevention methods as key performance parameters used when evaluating vehicle systems.

52

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

TINY CELLS DO LARGE DAMAGECorrosion prevention must be factored into vehicle and equipment design early on to help the Army build sustainable platforms and reduce maintenance costs over time.By Daniel Clayton Cummins

“[Corrosion is] anything that acts in a destructive manner through chemical interaction between a metal and its environment.” — Herbert H. Uhlig

former MIT Corrosion and Electrochemistry Professor and Metallurgist

“It may cost something upfront to add in these protections, but it will be even more expensive to fix later,” Porter acknowledged.

To contend with the corrosion menace, the Army and the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command turned to Alexander R. Kovnat’s Design Guidelines for Prevention of Corrosion in Combat and Tactical Vehicles, originally published in 1988. It lists several design elements the Army still uses to alleviate corrosion, including:1. Eliminate sharp edges that

lead to crevice corrosion.2. Eliminate lips or sinks where

moisture can accumulate.3. Ensure that corrosion-prone areas

inside vehicles can be accessed easily for assessment and cleaning.

4. Angle surfaces to allow for liquids to run off of them quickly, and to

help avoid uniform corrosion.5. Account for plating and

coatings that will work for the vehicles’ intended purpose.

6. Where there is risk of abrasion, such as under wheel hubs, use a layer of plastic.

These guidelines steer designers and engineers down the right path, but factors such as dust, atmospheric gases and moisture may offer complications. “Corrosion is a funny thing,” TARDEC SCE I. Carl Handsy explained. “Prevention is very complex. It is hard to predict problem areas of corrosion because components will be under varying conditions. For instance, the same component made of the same material would need different corrosion prevention measures depending on whether one was submerged in water while the other was exposed to air.”

The Army inevitably has to contend with an ever-present enemy in overseas operations — sand. “The sand is picked up by the wind and erodes components down to the substrate, removing the corrosion-protective coatings,” Handsy pointed out. “Also, there are salt deposits in places where dense vegetation and water were once found. The salt is carried by the wind and can cling to equipment. This can lead

53

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“Good design will drive maintenance and sustainability. We can ensure that the Army gets it cheaper by doing it right the first time.” — Scott Porter

TARDEC Senior Corrosion Engineer

U.S. Army SGT Lonnie Malone, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, loosens the lug nuts on an M984 Wrecker-Recovery Vehicle, Joint Security Station India, Iraq, Feb. 15, 2011. Malone was the shop foreman for the motor pool and personally oversaw vehicle maintenance and corrosion prevention. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Terence Ewings.)

to corrosion issues when combined with moisture and eroded coatings.”

COATINGS SLOW LONG-TERM EFFECTSA proven method for preventing corrosion in vehicle design is galvanic corrosion protection, which uses a complementary metal that is more prone to corrosion to protect the more valuable metal.

“The most current tests show that galvanization provides the best form of corrosion protection for the cost,” Nymberg noted.

Because electron-affinity governs a material’s readiness to corrode, a metal of lower cost, importance and electron-affinity can be used to protect the metal the engineer wants to preserve.

This strategy was successfully implemented with the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles

(FMTVs). During the design process, TARDEC suggested galvanized steel, which is steel coated in zinc that prevents the material from corroding. This is an inexpensive, cost-effective method to reduce FMTV corrosion.

TARDEC engineers are developing a modeling and simulation (M&S) program to analyze known corrosion problems in ground systems design. This will allow technicians to look for corrosion during the systems engineering process upfront, and redesign the vehicle while it is still in development, instead of needing to find after-the-fact solutions. The MCE team works with TARDEC’s Survivability group on layering armors and paint to lessen corrosion and increase armor life spans.

54

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“The most current tests show that galvanization provides the best form of corrosion protection for the cost.”— Daniel Nymberg,

TARDEC Senior Corrosion Engineer

TARDEC engineers are developing an M&S program to analyze known corrosion problems in ground systems design. This will allow technicians to look for corrosion during the systems engineering process upfront, and redesign the vehicle while it is still in development, instead of needing to find after-the-fact solutions.

U.S. Army SGT Reginald Isaac, 2025th Transportation Company, Alabama National Guard, supporting the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Iraq, washes his assigned Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) prior to deploying equipment to Kuwait for return to the United States last summer. These well-traveled HETs were constantly exposed to severe atmospheric and environmental conditions while logging hundreds of thousands of miles of equipment transport throughout the theater of operations. (U.S. Army photo by SGT Jason Stewart.)

Vehicle maintenance and routine cleaning are also important for preventing corrosion. The RESET process (rebuilding and reconditioning) provides an opportunity to clean and maintain vehicles properly. Common cleaning methods include solvents, sand blasting, alkaline wash, pickling and heat treatment.Vehicles can also be protected through barrier coating, which is a technique the auto industry

has been using when painting cars. The paint serves as a barrier, keeping oxygen from reaching the vulnerable metal. When chipped or scratched, corrosion and rust can set in quickly.

EVALUATING METHODS FOR PREVENTIONCadmium, a popular coating for many years, offered several advantages, such as excellent lubricity, resistance to etching,

ability to bind to other metals and it sacrificed itself to protect the other metal. Cadmium is often used to coat fasteners and small metal parts.

However, cadmium is a known carcinogen and plating it requires copious amounts of chromic acid and other hazardous materials. These materials are difficult to dispose of and increase the life-cycle cost for vehicles that use cadmium-coated parts. Because of cost and health issues, cadmium is being phased out wherever possible. Several countries have banned its use all together.

TARDEC is aggressively researching other options, such as nickel and aluminum. Nickel has some disadvantages, such as defaulting in plating, high cost and being a chemical irritant. In tests, aluminum has outperformed cadmium in terms of corrosion resistance. However, there is some controversy as tests done by private companies show mixed results.

While corrosion is unavoidable, applying the Army’s knowledge of electrochemistry provides ways to inhibit corrosion. Preventing it begins with vehicle design and coating selections, and TARDEC is continuing the search for more effective means of slowing the corrosion process to provide longer-lasting vehicles and equipment with far less maintenance challenges for Soldiers and Marines in the field.

55

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Soldiers, 15th Transportation Company, 45th Infantry Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard, Fort Sill, OK, clean their M1075 Palletized Load System cargo trucks at wash rack facilities, Fort McCoy, WI, following their redeployment from Iraq. Thorough cleaning before leaving theater, and again upon arrival in the United States, ensured all corrosive elements, such as sand, grit, salt, chemicals, etc., were removed from exterior and interior vehicle surfaces. (U.S. Army photo by Allan Harding.)

AUTHOR BIO:Daniel claYTon cUMMins is a student at the University of Michigan. He expects to graduate with a B.S. in chemistry in 2012. He was a TARDEC Summer Hire Engineering Aid/Engineering Technician and worked with TARDEC’s Materials, Corrosion and Environmental team studying the effects of corrosion on Army vehicles.

TarDec sUMMer Hire prograM sUpporTs arMY MissionThis is the second time that author Daniel Cummins has provided support to TARDEC Materials, Corrosion and Environmental Team as part of the TARDEC Summer Hire Program (SHP). TARDEC Senior Corrosion Engineer Scott Porter explained the SHP, stating, “The program is win-win. We give the students a chance to interact in the real world. Since the hires we get are from a really competitive group, the people we get are the cream of the crop.” TARDEC Senior Corrosion Engineer Daniel Nymberg agreed, saying that TARDEC allows the summer hires to connect the dots among their training, education and the processes through their work at TARDEC.

56

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

The following series of photos show corrosion repair on an army vehicle.

aT a glance: Corrosion has its own form of diversity. It appears in many shapes and colors. Triggered by a progression of chemical reactions, corrosion happens in various guises and stages of severity. Corrosion classifications include:

•Uniformsurfacecorrosionisthesimplestclassification—itoccurswhereanexposedsurfacecorrodesatauniformrateacrossthatsurface.

•Crevicecorrosionisthepreferentialcorrosionofmetalinasharpcrevice.

•Frettingcorrosionoccurswheretwometalsurfacescontacteachotherandconsistentlymoveorvibrate.

•Poulticecorrosionisessentiallyuniformcorrosionlocalizedtoareaswheretheelectrolytesitsundisturbedforanextendedperiodoftime.Youmayseeitwhenmoisturecollectsonanunpaintedcarhoodwithoutbeingwipedoff.

•Dissimilarmetalcorrosioniscausedbetween

twometalswithdifferentelectricalproperties.

•Pittingcorrosionproducessmallpitsinthemetalandtheappearanceofwhitepowderonthemetalsurface.

•Intergranularcorrosion,similartopitting,iswhereanon-uniformconcentrationoftwometalssharingagrainboundaryinanalloybegintocorrodemorequicklythantherestofthemetalpart.

•Stresscorrosioncrackingresultsfromintergranularcorrosion.ThistypeofdamageconcernsTARDECbecauseitaffectshard-steelalloys,whichthegovernmentusesforarmorsystems.Hard-steelalloysareresistanttomostotherformsofcorrosion,butthemetal’shardnesscausesittobebrittle,leavingitmoresusceptibletocracking.

corrosion correcTion

BEFORE DURING AFTER

Information supplied by Daniel Clayton Cummins. Photos supplied by U.S. Army TARDEC.

We’ve all heard the expression, “For want of a nail,” which emphasizes the indispensability of small parts that enable the larger whole. Army technology relies on the quality of every “nail” — each interconnecting part that comprises an integrated system.

With the aid of a new software tool, U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC ) Materials, Corrosion and Environmental (MCE) Team members are examining a relatively small part — a cadmium fastener on a Stryker vehicle. This type of individual component analysis will influence government decisions throughout a vehicle’s life cycle, including how systems using these fasteners are purchased, used in the field, maintained and disposed. To interpret the data needed to make an informed decision, TARDEC turned to its industry partners for a prototype modeling software tool called

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) that has the potential to solve this life-cycle challenge, and later ones on the sustainability horizon.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGESThe Stryker’s fasteners were originally made from cadmium, which contains toxic material that presents environmental problems in life-cycle maintenance, prompting the search for an alternative that provides the same strength at an equal or greater value.

Engineers referred to the personal protective equipment required to properly handle cadmium as “spacesuits,” according to TARDEC MCE Senior Corrosion Engineer (SCE) I. Carl Handsy.

“Using these suits increases the time and cost of handling the fasteners,” Handsy explained. Before TARDEC could suggest any new drop-in replacements or engineered equivalents to comply with newly emerging environmental requirements, the engineers needed to present more than the scientific case for the change. “We needed to make a business case for any potential changes,” TARDEC MCE SCE Daniel Nymberg stated. “How will these changes improve Army readiness? Will it be cost effective?”

Ultimately, TARDEC engineers have to determine the cost reduction across the life cycle. Benign fasteners are significantly less expensive to handle and dispose of than cadmium fasteners, even if

A prototype modeling tool can provide systems engineers with a big-picture portrait of a component’s value across its entire life cycle.By Scott Porter

THe liFe oF a parT

57

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“LCCA is a data-driven tool that incorporates a comprehensive set of tailorable cost drivers that are adaptable and can be tuned to various fields of fidelity.”

— Dr. William Arrasmith Greywolf Technical Services President and University of Florida Professor

they have higher initial purchase costs. The team needed a system that could examine all contributing variables across the life cycle to get an accurate picture of alternatives that would reduce net cost.

NEW SOFTWARE TARGETS SOLUTIONThe first step in finding a solution was to reach out to industry partners. The team that designed and performed the initial tests for the LCCA tool included United Solutions and Services, LLC (US2), Conley and Associates and Greywolf Technical Services.* “TARDEC [partners] were real professionals,” Greywolf Technical Services (GTS) President and University of Florida Professor Dr. William Arrasmith recalled. As a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant

colonel who served 20 years in research and development, Arrasmith is aware of the challenges facing Department of Defense acquisition.With the team in place, TARDEC defined requirements for the LCCA tool, a modeling and simulation (M&S) capability developed specifically for TARDEC that can model 154 variable cost elements over a 25-year life cycle. The time period can be adjusted, and the 154 variables can be plugged in as needed to fill requirements for different systems, parts, vehicles, processes and environments.

“LCCA is a data-driven tool that incorporates a comprehensive set of tailorable cost drivers that are adaptable and can be tuned to various fields of fidelity,” Arrasmith explained.

PROVIDING DATA FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERINGAccording to Arrasmith, the LCCA tool has application across a wide array of programs and provides “data-driven models.” These scalable models allow users to examine costs up and down the chain. While still a prototype and requiring more testing, this software tool shows promise. The team hopes to improve the Graphical User Interface and provide new features that include statistical simulations through Monte Carlo methods, which are a class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to compute their results.

“By being holistic, the model forces big-picture decision making,” Arrasmith continued. This allows engineers to conduct cost trade-off studies. These studies impact the entire life cycle by allowing engineers to attach different widgets in different environments to find the most cost-effective means of meeting requirements.

The tool isn’t limited to only the fasteners that it initially examined. “It can be used for any new product or process — this will answer questions for engineers on the return on investment for their choices,” Handsy remarked. “The tool gives a good understanding of the total costs of a vehicle system,” Arrasmith asserted. The model determines cost relationships through life-cycle costing and systems engineering principles. The data also helps to find areas that may be generating waste, so that Program Executive Offices and Program Managers can target those areas for cost savings.

The tool provides more than just end-point data. It also analyzes expenses across the various

58

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Army Combat Repair Team 1 mechanic/wrecker operator SPC Gary Newman, 402nd Brigade Support Battalion, performs maintenance on a Stryker vehicle at the Forward Operating Base Ramrod motor pool, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Newman is supporting the 5th SBCT, 2ID. The challenging operational environment in Afghanistan requires constant vigilance to prevent corrosion and excessive wear on exposed metal and synthetic vehicle and component surfaces. (U.S. Army photo PVT Luke Rollins.)

phases, to see where costs are spiking or where savings can be realized. Phases include:

• Conceptual• Preliminary Design• Detailed Design• Production/Construction• Operational Use• Support • System Retirement

Each phase can be broken out and viewed independently. Data is initially displayed on an annual basis, but it can provide more detailed views.

The LCCA tool can be applied to a single system — the Abrams tank, for example — or to a collection of systems, such as all maintenance activities at a particular level or depot, or to a specific product,

such as the drop-in replacement for cadmium fasteners. “You can turn switches off and on, change values up and down — the tool is robust enough for a wide variety of products,” Conley and Associates Chief Operating Officer Frank Tricomi asserted.

More testing is required to verify the model. “The objective is not just to perform a test. The objective is to extend the service life of the product in the field for the Soldier,” Handsy remarked. Proper application of the LCCA tool and similar M&S tools that supply TARDEC with SE data give engineers and researchers the information they need to build the robust, rugged and survivable ground vehicle systems Soldiers need.

Editor’s Notes: TARDEC Senior Corrosion Engineers I. Carl Handsy and Daniel Nymberg contributed to this article.

59

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

AUTHOR BIO:scoTT porTer is a Senior Corrosion Engineer on TARDEC’S Materials, Corrosion and Environmental team. He holds a bachelor's degree in materials engineering from Auburn University, a master's degree in computer science from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and a master's degree in technical management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is Level III-certified in Systems Planning, Research Development and Engineering and Program Management. He is an Army Acquisition Corps member. His previous career was in the U.S. Navy.

The parts shown above came from inspections conducted at Schofield Barracks, HI, and Fort Lewis, WA. Soldiers inspected fasteners installed on RESET vehicles and found that, after a similar amount of time, the OEM lug nuts showed rust, while the aluminum-plated fasteners had no visible corrosion. The dull gray coloring on the aluminum-plated lug nuts was due to compressed aluminum coating and tool marks.

The next generation of advanced batteries has turned toward lithium-ion (Li-ion) as the long-term solution for all military service needs. But the military is also relying on industry to fulfill a current domestic manufacturing void — to build an affordable supply of Li-ion batteries for commercial and military ground vehicles.

“With the ever-increasing demand for extended capability, there is a growing need for higher-power and high-energy density batteries, and lithium-ion batteries provide these features,” remarked U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development

and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Energy Storage Team Leader Sonya Zanardelli. “Domestic manufacturing is critical to maintaining a reliable, cost-effective supply, reducing foreign energy dependence and establishing a competitive domestic base in a leading-edge technology.”

The first challenge to domestic battery manufacturing is fierce global competition for market share. The majority of the world’s advanced battery production currently comes from the Asian countries. Here though, high-volume manufacturing of Li-ion batteries is still in its infancy.

Thankfully, battery manufacturing in the United States is now on the rise, due in part to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding that pledged $2.4 billion in grants and tax credits to grow U.S. production of Li-ion batteries. This “Stimulus Act” funding was uplifting news for both the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Nation — the Army orders about 700,000 batteries a year, the car companies selling their hybrids and plug-ins will spike the demand for advanced batteries even more. This increase in production

should also help strengthen the manufacturing base and create jobs.

A U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) report estimates that world production capacity for Li-ion batteries will grow from about 400,000 in 2010 to 3.6 million by 2015. The DoE study also notes that worldwide production of electric vehicles is expected to rise to about 6 million by 2020.

Essentially, the challenge facing DoD and Detroit’s Big Three is the same — follow up on the research and testing being conducted in this country by commercializing the technology and meeting the demand for advanced batteries with a renewable supply.

MAKING IT MANUFACTURABLEA major challenge for U.S. manufacturers is keeping pace with Asian countries’ current dominance in battery research, development and production. As an example, Toyota introduced Li-ion batteries to the marketplace in 2003 with the Vitz subcompact car (sold in this country as the Yaris). The Japanese automaker started testing Prius models with Li-ion batteries in 2007 and had

60

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

JUMping baTTerY proDUcTionThe Army’s success in developing lithium-ion batteries and integrating them in ground vehicles depends on the expansion of the entire American battery market. Before manufacturing increases, Army labs will make sure the batteries are safe, reliable and ready for prime time.By David Skalny and Elise Libby

Elise Libby inspects a cylindrical lithium-ion cell during thermal studies in the accelerating rate calorimeter at a TARDEC lab. It is critical for domestic manufacturing to increase to provide a cost-effective supply of Li-ion batteries for the military and automakers. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Karen Sas.)A DoE report estimates

that world production capacity for Li-ion batteries will grow from about 400,000 in 2010 to 3.6 million by 2015. The DoE study also notes that worldwide production of electric vehicles is expected to rise to about 6 million by 2020.

them in showrooms in 2009.Other possible impediments exist: cost and establishing size and configuration standards. The current lead-acid battery technology costs around 27 cents per watt hour, while Li-ion technology costs roughly $1 per watt hour at the system level. Certain Li-ion batteries have the capacity to deliver up to three to four times the energy and up to 10 times the power density, but the key to large-scale advanced battery market commercialization is cost-competitiveness.

Also, many companies getting involved in the Li-ion battery business have their own standards for cell development, which often means having unique equipment

for manufacturing, assembly lines and pack integration. These varying standards could increase the difficulty of establishing production lines that will accommodate enough applications to make good business sense. However, if there were a standard cell size used for several applications, the economy of scale would justify large-scale, common production.

The United States is now lining up the resources to widen its manufacturing capability. In addition to the $2.4 billion in stimulus funds, an earlier federal provision set aside $7.5 billion in loans for the manufacture of advanced automotive technology, which includes batteries. “With a

strong and vibrant battery industry, the U.S. should be well positioned to be in a leadership role with respect to the next generation of batteries,” Zanardelli commented.

She added that TARDEC works with automotive companies on research because both have an interest in using common materials. “Several projects led by TARDEC’s Energy Storage Team have industry commonality in sight. As we develop military batteries, whenever possible, we use common components with commercial batteries to improve the manufacturability.”

Advantages of Li-ion batteries are clear — they provide superior 61

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Elise Libby inspects a cylindrical lithium-ion cell during thermal studies in the accelerating rate calorimeter at a TARDEC lab. It is critical for domestic manufacturing to increase to provide a cost-effective supply of Li-ion batteries for the military and automakers. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Karen Sas.)

energy density at a lower size and weight than current lead-acid batteries. Li-ion batteries also have a more favorable self-discharge rate, meaning they can sit for longer periods of time without degradation, compared to current batteries, and in operation they are expected to last at least 10 years longer than the current lead-acid batteries. For these reasons and others, the DoD formed a Power Sources Technical Working Group joining the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy, adopting a policy to standardized a lithium-ion battery specification for all services.

ExAMINING THE ARMY’S ROLETARDEC will support the overall effort by conducting a number of advanced battery manufacturing initiatives, and by collaborating with contractors and other government agencies to develop the technologies that could lead to an edge in domestic production.

For instance, in January 2010, TARDEC awarded a $9-million contract for developing a manufacturing facility that will build advanced battery

modules and packs using the most- advanced technology and automation. This investment clearly sets the stage for replacing the lead-acid batteries currently powering ground vehicles, with the more advanced Li-ion batteries, plus high-energy battery packs for silent-watch capabilities.

TARDEC currently has numerous Cooperative Research and Development Agreements investigating battery technology innovations. The organization also leverages auto industry technology to help reduce costs. This kind of dual-use technology exchange contributes to a larger market, which makes the manufacturing of advanced batteries for military vehicles a more viable,

cost-effective prospect. The Advanced Automotive Battery Initiative — a planning program to identify common solutions among government, industry and academic partners — was formed in 2009 to help domestic manufacturers produce high-quality components at the lowest possible price, establish a cost-effective domestic supply base, and ensure that military and commercial vehicle makers have access to the same technological advancements.

62

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Placing a prismatic Li-ion cell in an environmental chamber, David Skalny of the TARDEC Energy Storage Team, conducts thermal testing at a GVPM lab to ensure Li-ion batteries will be safe and durable. DoD plans to switch to Li-ion batteries as the common battery for all services. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Karen Sas.)

“Domestic manufacturing is critical to maintaining a reliable, cost-effective supply, reduce foreign energy dependence and establish a competitive domestic base in a leading-edge technology.”— Sonya Zanardelli

TARDEC Energy Storage Team Leader

PASSING THE TESTSTARDEC’s Energy Storage Team, working within the Ground Vehicle Power and Mobility (GVPM) directorate, continues to test Li-ion batteries to control such issues as how batteries react under extreme temperatures or overuse/abuse conditions. The TARDEC team has been putting Li-ion batteries through extensive testing for safety, performance, altitude, vibration, impact, short circuiting, live-fire, nail penetration and water immersion. TARDEC provides not only the facilities for each of the tests, but also has established test requirements to assess the battery’s Technological Readiness Level (TRL).

The team also hopes to establish standards to reduce logistic issues and ensure that the replacement

batteries will fit in the existing space compartments in military ground vehicles. To aid this effort, the U.S. Marine Corps has expressed interest in a 12-volt Li-ion battery that meets the 6T size factor, yet exceeds the power and energy performance of current batteries.

In addition, battery research, development and testing have been expanded to meet the challenges. In current TARDEC facilities, the Electrochemical Analysis and Research Laboratory (EARL) has doubled its capability to test small and large format Li-ion cells and modules. Also, the soon-to-be-open Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory at the Detroit Arsenal will feature three battery rooms for testing lead-acid, Li-ion and other advanced battery chemistries in high volumes and with enhanced safety.

Of course, the battery has to do what it’s made to do: provide the power requirements for vehicle operation and the growing demands of engine-off electronic functions, such as silent watch, sensors, communications, Global Positioning Systems and signal jammers, plus heating, cooling and ventilation. “Batteries go through extensive testing before they are qualified for field use. Before a battery is accepted as TRL 5 — which is the level where a battery could even be considered for use in a vehicle — it must pass our list of safety and performance tests,” Zanardelli concluded.

63

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

SGT Logan Broome, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic with the 233rd Transportation Company, removes the battery tray during training on an Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Caiman vehicle. The Army plans to eventually replace the current lead-acid batteries in tactical vehicles with Li-ion batteries, which provide more power density and last longer. (U.S. Army photo by 2LT Sean Chang.)

AUTHOR BIOS:DaviD sKalnY is currently Energy Storage Deputy Team Leader in the Research and Technology Integration (RTI) Business Group within the Ground Vehicle Power & Mobility (GVPM) Directorate at TARDEC, where he has worked for eight years. Skalny earned a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and a B.S. in computer engineering from Michigan State University in 2005. His research fields of interest include battery standardization, Li-ion battery adaption for military vehicle use and battery management system technologies.

elise libbY is a Chemical Engineer on TARDEC’s Energy Storage Team in the RTI Business Group. She has worked in the GVPM Directorate for the past three years. Elise holds a B.S. degree in engineering chemistry from Oakland University, and is currently working toward her master’s degree in chemistry from Oakland. Her research fields of interest include analytical chemistry as applied to advanced energy storage technology and alternative fuel sources.

If you want to experience great Renaissance art and sculpture, go to the Louvre. If your palette craves culinary cuisine beyond compare, go to Tuscany. For outstanding automotive engineering and systems integration, there’s only one destination: Detroit, the automotive capital of the world.

Army civilian engineers and their auto industry subject-matter expert (SME) associates drive the research and development (R&D) and technology integration that empowers the Ground Systems Enterprise to create new technologies, integrate the best solutions for ground vehicle platforms and potentially save lives.

For U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) systems engineers, that means collaborating with auto industry SMEs to adapt mature technology solutions into robust capabilities that support Soldier and Marine ground combat and tactical vehicle systems and equipment.

By working with industry, we get their unique views on technical problems and novel approaches we may not normally consider. Likewise, we provide industry with the opportunity to solve problems and accelerate technology for Soldiers who require new capabilities today.

BUILDING COLLABORATIVE BRIDGESChartered in June 1993 by the Secretary of the Army, TARDEC’s NAC serves as the Army focal point for developing dual-use automotive technologies and their application to military ground vehicle systems. More specifically, the NAC is the catalyst linking industry, academia and government agencies in developing and exchanging joint automotive technologies. Its primary focus is on accelerating the infusion of commercially viable technologies into the military’s land warfare systems. “Our partnerships with the automotive industry let us bring

64

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

engine oF innovaTionTARDEC is ideally positioned for auto industry collaboration that leverages mature technology and helps military engineers integrate new or improved capabilities into the ground systems needed for Soldiers and Marines to succeed.By Paul Skalny and John Rzepecki

their expertise to bear for the best solutions for the Army,” acknowledged TARDEC Transportation and Energy Security Team Leader Erik Kallio.Using several key mechanisms to leverage investments in automotive technology R&D, the NAC initiates and manages shared technology programs. These mechanisms include collaborative automotive technology contracts, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) and other contractual relationships that tap into the industrial and manufacturing bases’ expertise.

NAC Industry Connections Team Leader Mark Mikula remarked that “TARDEC maintains a close collaborative relationship with Michigan’s automotive industry to keep America ahead of the curve in military automotive technology development.”

TARDEC also maintains a strong relationship with colleges and universities through the Automotive Research Center (ARC) at the University of Michigan (U-M). Working under contract, the ARC is a university-based U.S. Army Center of Excellence for advancing the technology of high-fidelity simulation for military and civilian ground vehicles and, in conjunction with its industry members, serves as a key basic research partner for TARDEC and the NAC. The partnership base includes: Wayne State University, Oakland University, University of Iowa, Clemson University, Virginia Tech and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Responding to industry and government emphasis on energy-efficient propulsion systems for ground vehicles, particularly those employing hybrid powertrains, and for R&D into alternative fuels and advanced combustion engines,

ARC researchers are providing critical data from focused in-lab testing and validation. Technology transfer and exchange of findings to the government and industry is critical to ARC mission success and helps drive the collaborative R&D relationships. Linking research projects to commercial automotive activities and government operational needs ensures success for all participants and is helping to grow the next generation of automotive engineers and technical experts.

The ARC develops simulation and modeling environments for discovering and assessing critical ground vehicle technologies. The Center focuses on challenges associated with vehicle power and energy management, mobility and survivability of complete vehicle systems. By employing extensive experimental facilities for the validation

and verification of models in the area of energy conversion and power management, ARC research models and simulations are accompanied by analytical tools to assess optimality, reliability, survivability and mobility in harsh environments with constrained fuel supplies and varying terrain characteristics. Likewise, the ARC relies heavily on research collaboration between multiple universities and disciplines to bridge fundamental automotive technology and capability gaps. The Center continues to focus on Army-relevant topics and partner with industry to leverage and transfer its efforts, results and findings.

PARTNERING DELIVERS GAME-CHANGING INNOVATIONWithout question, the Department of Defense (DoD) maintains the largest

65

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Facing page: Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected All-Terrain Vehicles assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, stand mission-ready awaiting the next tactical patrol or convoy. TARDEC’s collaborative partners in government, industry and academia work to develop crucial ground vehicle technology that will protect U.S. Soldiers and Marines conducting overseas contingency operations. The technology being jointly developed can also be used commercially by automakers and first responders. (USMC photo by LCpl Andrew D. Johnston.)

From left: General Motors (GM) Vice President of Global Research and Development Dr. Alan Taub and TARDEC Director Dr. Grace M. Bochenek confer with U.S. Senator and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) during a visit to GM in Warren, MI. The technologies that automotive manufacturers integrate into their commercial vehicles help advance military technology and improve Army ground vehicle system performance, mobility and sustainability. (Photo by Chuck Cloud, courtesy of GM.)

ground vehicle fleet in the world. Accordingly, it uses enormous amounts of fuel to power its fleet globally and, following a decade of persistent conflict, numerous overseas contingency operations, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations, DoD is relying heavily on its labs, research and engineering centers, and industry to deliver fuel-efficient and alternative power generation capabilities.

To address several challenges, long-term TARDEC partner General Motors (GM) Corp. is conducting on-going fuel-cell testing and development on the automaker’s Chevrolet Equinox at Fort Belvoir, VA, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, and Schofield Barracks, HI. This testing is also investigating electrical export capabilities. Mobile export power generation approaching 25 kilowatts (kW) is being validated. By comparison, an average household requires only 1 kW of continuous power. This power-generation and storage technology — once fully developed and integrated onto military platforms — could be harnessed by Soldiers and Marines to power forward operating bases overseas, significantly reducing the need for fuel deliveries to remote field locations. All uniformed services are currently testing and validating potential alternative energy capabilities that could lead to significant energy-

efficient solutions in the near future.“The partnership’s main value is achieving common objectives, such as research in battery volume and weight, and developing new materials for fuel-cell systems. More efficient engines can help both military and civilian users. The same is true with vehicles that can drive themselves,” observed GM New Business Development Manager Dr. Joseph F. Mercurio.

The NAC has been the Army’s focal point for developing dual-use automotive technologies and their application to military ground vehicles and equipment for more than 18 years. NAC associates build the necessary collaborative bridges with industry, other government agencies and academia. “The reason we started the NAC in the 1990s was to become closer to the Big 3,” Mikula commented.

“Several associates who recently joined the NAC are former Big 3 employees with direct contacts within and among the original equipment manufacturers [OEMs], some of which have first-person experience and expertise related to the OEM’s technology portfolios,” TARDEC NAC Transportation

Energy Security Team Technology Analyst Scott Schramm stated.

While there are several partnership tools available to formally link the government, industry and academia, the one that enables the NAC’s Big 3 connections is a Master Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), which was cited as a leading reason for TARDEC being the first Army organization to receive the Federal Quality Improvement Prototype Award in 1994. Other R&D CRADAs have resulted in programs that continue to move technology integration forward.

In addition to the Big 3, TARDEC works closely with other automotive manufacturers and suppliers. “The NAC has direct affiliations with many of the principle Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers that conceptualize and mature advanced technologies for the OEMs,” Schramm explained. In the battery industry alone, TARDEC has ongoing partnerships with nearly 20 battery companies.

“The NAC has a CRADA with GM and is cultivating areas of mutual technical interest with Chrysler and Ford to enter into CRADAs with those companies,” Schramm acknowledged. The NAC and GM are investigating potential new technologies on conventional and advanced powertrains, batteries, autonomous driving, vehicle-health management, body structure and occupant safety. TARDEC’s Powertrain team is studying specific functions, including efficiency, space claim, heat generation, fuel economy and other systems engineering elements to develop a more efficient powertrain with higher-power density.

By working with industry experts, Detroit Arsenal engineers can better provide Soldiers and Marines with high-performing, energy-efficient propulsion systems that deliver unprecedented maneuverability, survivability and sustainability on the modern battlefield. Automotive engineers — within the government

66

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

A GM Equinox Hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle is displayed during last year’s Earth Day Celebration in the Pentagon courtyard, Arlington, VA. GM’s collaborative partners are helping design and build fuel-cell demonstrator vehicles. The Army and USMC are particularly interested in fuel-cell capabilities that produce clean, exportable power. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Jay M. Chu.)

and in industry — are keenly aware of the challenges warfighters face, and they are aggressively integrating new, novel and mature technology solutions that lead to more robust capabilities that address emerging and future requirements for combat and tactical vehicle systems and equipment.

GETTING A CHARGE FROM BATTERY DEVELOPMENTTARDEC and the automotive industry’s interests in battery research overlap regarding lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery plans, cell-materials development, drop-in replacement solutions for 12- and 24-volt batteries, battery testing and specifications development, and other crucial areas related to storage and conversion. By combining efforts, TARDEC and the automotive industry prevent duplication of effort and expand battery technology and future capabilities.

“Our industry partners are the developers of the technology and the hardware,” TARDEC Energy Storage Team Leader Sonya Zanardelli stated. “TARDEC helps to push the technology readiness level [TRL] up to a systems level. We are the final evaluator and qualifier. For battery systems, TARDEC helps by supplying partners with a TRL certification plan that helps define testing requirements.”

One critical area being investigated is the phenomenon of lithium plating, a cause of cell failure in Li-ion batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles. “I visited the Research Chemical Engineering Laboratory at the GM Tech Center to learn how to use this cell and participate in setting up some tests of Li-ion battery anodes, the negative electrode where lithium plating takes place,” TARDEC Chemist James Mainero remarked.

By sharing laboratory space, expertise and even SMEs, such as Mainero, TARDEC leverages

industry’s unique testing facilities to assess military technology capabilities, functionality and production expectations, and address vehicle life-cycle sustainability issues.

JOINT PARTNERS ADD VALUEDating back to World War II, Detroit Arsenal engineers, scientists and technicians have maintained strategic partnerships with their automotive industry peers. Together, government and industry have proven that sharing information, technology and capabilities can lead to better engineering and integration solutions delivered when they are needed most. The collaborative partnerships that allowed previous generations of Americans to rapidly respond to national security threats continue today to ensure our Nation has a strong industrial and manufacturing base that will give government engineers a broad range of quality resources and expertise to draw from for the foreseeable future.

During a recent interagency planning seminar, Under Secretary of the Army Dr. Joseph W. Westphal emphasized the importance of advance planning to support the Future Force, and accelerating potential technology solutions wherever possible. “[There] is an opportunity for innovation to have a broader perspective to it,” he explained. “The Army has huge energy demands across our platforms for everything from generators, batteries and robotics. … Strong partnerships between government and the private sector will be crucial to rapidly developing solutions … we really need industry and academia to participate, because the innovation is really going to come from them. We need to be able to push this faster and extend all of this forward. … So our efforts are to get that innovation and push it to industry,” Westphal continued.

It’s a challenge that industry experts are willing to accept, and workshop participants lauded the progress in

breaking through bureaucratic red tape. “There is no question that we have learned how to break down the ‘industry/government wall, remarked GM Vice President of Global Research and Design Dr. Alan Taub. “I think the challenge now is how we find the common ground between the military and commercial needs and create the right kind of working relationship with the military vehicle suppliers and [the] government,” he concluded.

67

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

AUTHOR BIOS:paUl sKalnY is currently the Acting Executive Director of Product Development at TARDEC. In his official position as the National Automotive Center (NAC) Director, Skalny leads all NAC activities in the areas of Advanced Commercial Automotive Technologies and Program Development, budget, assessment and evaluation. His Army civilian career spans more than 31 years, and his experience covers the full spectrum of the Army military vehicle acquisition process, from vehicle inception to field sustainment. An Army Acquisition Corps member, Skalny has worked closely with the Departments of Energy and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency on the 21st Century Truck Initiative, with the Army and Marine Corps on the Future Tactical Truck System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program and, most recently, the Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance with the Department of Energy and Department of Army. Skalny is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Wayne State University, where he earned a B.A. degree in economics and an M.S. degree in industrial engineering/operations research. In October 2011, Skalny was recognized by CALSTART with a Blue Sky Leadership Award for his outstanding contributions to clean air, energy efficiency and clean commercial transportation.

JoHn rzepecKi is the TARDEC Powertrain Team Leader. He previously worked for Chrysler LLC in Michigan. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and earned an M.B.A. from Lawrence Technological University. Rzepecki has been awarded multiple patents for Powertrain Controls-related software features.

68

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N Racing fans follow Ryan Newman’s No. 39 car with the U.S. Army star because it’s a consistent top-10 finisher. MG Nick Justice follows NASCAR because he recognizes that collaboration and innovation can lead to victories for the Army. By Dan Desmond and Michael I. Roddin

U.S. Army racecar driver Ryan Newman rounds a corner during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Maneuverability, performance and safety are qualities shared by racecar driver Ryan Newman and the TACOM LCMC. Newman, who holds a B.S. degree in vehicle structure engineering, toured the TARDEC labs on a recent visit. (Photo courtesy of Cameras in Action for the Army News Service.)

TEAmworkDrIVESVICTorIES

There’s only one U.S. Army vehicle that can sustain speeds of 200-plus mph, has no doors or headlights and typically only performs on Sundays. NASCAR’s Ryan Newman drives the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet with the Army Strong star on the hood in the premier NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

At the end of the 2011 season, Newman had earned one Sprint Cup Series victory (at Loudon, NH), nine top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes.

Newman appreciates that in a sport inundated with logos from car companies, gas and oil brands, soft drinks, cereals and big box stores, he represents one of the oldest organizations in the country. “I get a lot of fans who have friends or family currently involved in the military, or veterans,” Newman commented. “I do my best to represent the U.S. Army as a whole and help people understand we can never take for granted our freedoms and all the things we’re able to do on a routine basis that other country’s [citizens] don’t have the opportunity to do. So representing Soldiers is an honor for me.”

With a Purdue University B.S. degree in vehicle structure engineering, Newman is no ordinary driver. When he displayed his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet at the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) and U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) facilities during a recent visit to the Detroit Arsenal, he took a particular interest in the laboratory tour and exchanged technology ideas with engineers.

“Their use of components from a safety standpoint is similar to what we go through with our racecars to make them safer so we can survive crashes, and they can survive impacts,” observed Newman during his visit. “It’s no different whether you’re protecting [a driver and crew] from explosives or from a racetrack barrier or wall. That’s currently what we’re working on — the safety of the drivers using different components and lighter-weight materials. We’re constantly working on that.”

ARMY TRACKS NASCAR’S SAFETY STEPSArmy leadership has taken note of the similarities between its Soldier-centric safety research and NASCAR’s driver-protection technology. MG Nick Justice, Commanding General, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) based in Aberdeen, MD, has taken a team of engineers to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, NC, to study safety measures such as impact-resistant seats, 6-point safety harnesses and removable steering wheels.

He commented at the Automotive Research Center conference in Ann Arbor, MI, about NASCAR’s instructive research into driver safety. “Have you seen the safety on the racetracks today compared to just a decade ago?” Justice asked.

69

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“This win is for the Soldiers! We appreciate all the things they have done and do.”— Ryan Newman

Driver, U.S. Army-supported NASCAR car

A Soldier demonstrates the Gunner Restraint System in the gun turret of a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle. Army engineers are consulting with NASCAR to improve crash safety in their vehicles. This GRS harness attaches to the interior floor of the MRAP and is designed to keep the exposed gunner inside the vehicle in the event of a rollover. (U.S. Army photo by Christian Marquart.)

As driver of the U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala racecar for Stewart Haas Racing, Ryan Newman has met Soldiers on several installation visits over the past few years. Newman stopped at the Detroit Arsenal to sign autographs, meet Soldiers and tour the laboratories with Army engineers, just days before a race at Michigan International Speedway. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

“The death of one driver created a drive for safety in racing. Now you see guys walking away from crash events that make you wonder, ‘How in the world did he get out of there?’ But the track is part of the solution, and the barrier around the track helps absorb

energy, and everything in that race car is designed to collapse.”

“[NASCAR] understands the injuries that go on in those crashes,” Justice shared. “Unfortunately for the Army, we don’t get to do one race a week on Sunday afternoon

on a track that’s designed to be safe. So, I’m going to give you a problem that is larger than NASCAR’s. The dynamics of being able to control that energy in a space that we do not shape is very important for us to deal with.”

In conversations with TARDEC engineers, Newman saw areas where NASCAR could learn from the Army, and the Army could learn from NASCAR, such as in rapid adjustments to changing conditions.

“What we do is always a race against time,” Newman offered. “I’m not saying their challenges aren’t, but I’m talking about pit stops where you have to make changes in seconds. That’s what our sport has taught us over time. There’s a ton of technology in both areas, whether it’s NASCAR or the Army, and technology allows us to adapt. I’m seeing how they specialize for different needs.”

NEWMAN LEARNS WHILE BUILDING RAPPORTAbout 100 associates from TACOM and TARDEC checked out Newman’s 750-horsepower Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet Impala and

70

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Driver Ryan Newman’s world class pit crew completes a stop for his U.S. Army-sponsored Chevrolet Impala during a NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, VA. Quick response and teamwork in the pits, and collaborative, integrated systems engineering design off the track, are areas where NASCAR and TARDEC can draw lessons from for future Soldier vehicle protection. (Photo courtesy of Cameras in Action for the Army News Service.)

Just another day at the office for Newman in his U.S. Army Chevrolet. Newman brought his Army Strong racecar to the Detroit Arsenal for a visit this summer. The NASCAR driver exchanged views with Army engineers during a recent tour of TARDEC laboratories. Impact-resistant seats, 6-point safety harnesses, and removable steering wheels are just a few technologies that interest the Army. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Accessions Command Public Affairs Office.)

“Have you seen the safety on the racetracks today compared to just a decade ago? … NASCAR understands the injuries that go on in those crashes. The dynamics of being able to control that energy in space that we do not shape is very important for us to deal with.”— MG Nick Justice

Commanding General, RDECOM

got an autograph from the nine-year racing veteran when he made his pit stop at the Detroit Arsenal.

Newman posed for photos and then toured technology areas, including the Center for Ground Vehicle Development and Integration (CGVDI) and the TARDEC robotics laboratory, during his summer appearance.

TARDEC Associate Director of Project and Operations Management Luis Hinojosa guided Newman through the CGVDI work area and explained some of the latest technologies designed to protect Soldiers in patrol vehicles from potentially deadly threats in Afghanistan and Iraq. He demonstrated the Universal Combat Lock Tool (UCLT), a recent Army’s Greatest Inventions Award nominee. The UCLT allows Soldiers or Marines to unlock any Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle with a single tool,

which primarily helps emergency response crews rescue Soldiers from damaged or overturned vehicles.

Newman proved a quick study at the robotics area, where he operated a Packbot with a video game-style handheld controller and operated its camera. When one of the robotics engineers tossed a roll of tape on the floor to demonstrate the robot’s manipulator arm and grippers, Newman instead decided to pick up the tape by using one of the side-mounted, wedge-shaped front flippers normally used to adjust the height and angle of the Packbot. After a couple of attempts, Newman tilted the roll of tape onto the flipper, wedged it into place and carried it back to the group.

As Newman travels to Army bases near NASCAR venues, he often combines learning about Army technology with establishing goodwill on the installations he visits. Soldiers showed him how to fire weapons and freefall in the vertical wind

tunnel at Fort Bragg, NC, he rode in a Stryker Infantry Carrier at Fort Benning, GA, and he visited wounded warriors at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

His Arsenal appearance coincided with the June 19 Michigan International Speedway (MIS) race, where Newman honored the Army’s birthday with a “236 Years Strong” graphic on his racecar hood. He helped himself in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points race, too, finishing sixth at MIS and recording his eighth top-10 finish up to that point in the 2011 season.

The Army has sponsored a NASCAR racecar for nine years and Newman has been the No. 39 U.S. Army car driver for the last three.

Newman’s team owner, Tony Stewart, crossed the finish line second to give the Stewart-Haas Racing team an unprecedented 1-2 finish.

“This win is for the Soldiers!” exclaimed Newman on his website, RyanNewman.org. “We appreciate all the things they have done and do.”

71

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

MG Nick Justice, Commanding General of the Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), has turned to NASCAR engineers for safety technology ideas. He spoke about applying some of these safety strategies to protect Soldiers in ground vehicles at the Automotive Research Center conference earlier this year. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

AUTHOR BIOS:Daniel DesMonD is a Writer/Editor with BRTRC and provides contract support to TARDEC’s Strategic Communications team. He has a B.A. in communication from the University of Michigan and has previously edited owner publications for GM divisions and written for The Oakland Press newspaper in Pontiac, MI, and The Associated Press Detroit Bureau.

MicHael i. roDDin is accelerate Magazine and GVSET News Editor-In-Chief. He holds B.S. degrees in English and journalism from the University of Maine and an M.S. in marketing from the University of Southern California. Roddin is a former Army Advertising Program Manager and 3-time Army Keith L. Ware Journalism Award recipient. In 2005, he was selected by the Secretary of the Army for Editor-of-the-Year honors.

72

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Steve Quinn, Chief, Land Operations Division (LOD), Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), is extremely emphatic when he describes the three biggest technological challenges facing the Australian Army and S&T community that supports it today. In fact, he writes the following word three ways — integration, Integration and INTEGRATION — to hammer home specific messages.

When he uses the word with a small “I,” he means the most elementary application: the integration of an individual soldier with his squad. Integration with a capital “I” refers to the wider challenge of integrating squads into their vehicles. Ultimately, Quinn’s goal is full INTEGRATION — where all Australian military are seamlessly connected to their vehicles and all the systems and equipment housed or associated with those vehicles

optimally serves warfighters at the Combined Arms Team (CAT) level.

“INTEGRATION is our greatest challenge — to have all systems seamlessly integrated across the Combined Arms Team,” Quinn commented. “The challenge is to have weapons systems integrated with survivability, protection, electronic warfare [EW], intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance [ISR] systems,

Australia's Land Operations Division Chief engaged TARDEC with two goals — collaborate on the Australian ground system replacement program and make MAGIC happen again.

By Michael I. Roddin and Daniel Desmond

LOD Chief Steve Quinn described the MAGIC competition’s importance for robotic team development during a media event in Adelaide, Australia, last November. Quinn approached TARDEC to discuss a possible second MAGIC event. The competition focused on robotic teaming, which could help both nations’ Soldiers accomplish their tactical missions while maintaining safe stand-off distances from potentially dangerous situations. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

DeTroiT Down UnDer

joint command and control [C2] operations and other intelligence systems. Not just tied together, but fully INTEGRATED.”

TARDEC has been studying similar challenges and developing solutions, Quinn continued, and the Australians want to work collaboratively with the U.S. Army to achieve their mutual objectives. Quinn sees a joint project with TARDEC as a key to achieving Australia’s goals because he doesn’t have the same options to collaborate with private industry as the Army has here. To solidify the international relationship, Quinn visited the Detroit Arsenal earlier this year to discuss possible collaborative research agreements with TARDEC senior leaders, and attended the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2011 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C., in October.

“TARDEC, in its entirety, represents a set of capabilities that is currently spotty in Australia,” Quinn shared during his visit to Detroit. “The high quality of

testing and evaluation capability for all vehicle types is not brand new to us. What we don’t have is a heavy focus on engineering development with an ability to achieve the engineering depth evident in TARDEC.”

Quinn also played a major role in organizing the Multi Autonomous Ground-robotic International Challenge (MAGIC) in Australia in November 2010 and favors staging a second competition. The event finals featured several robotics teams from the United States, Australia, Canada and Turkey being challenged to program multiple unmanned vehicles to work in tandem during competitive exercises. TARDEC was the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) lead for planning, organizing and executing the 2010 MAGIC event with DSTO.

“We’re looking at developing option sets for a follow-on MAGIC activity that would ensure both the U.S. and Australia benefit from leading-edge explorations of environments for autonomous robotics and robotic teaming,” Quinn relates.

“Having rolled the dice once, it has whetted our appetites enough, and was successful enough, to suggest that it’s worthwhile to roll the dice again. Subsequent to the second MAGIC activity, potential programs of record in autonomous robotics may materialize,” he continued.

But Quinn’s interest in working with TARDEC extends beyond robotics

73

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Quinn (left) discusses how to accelerate unmanned ground vehicle technology with Dr. Jim Overholt, TARDEC Senior Research Scientist for Robotics, during Quinn’s last visit to TARDEC to discuss further R&D collaboration. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

LOD Chief Steve Quinn described the MAGIC competition’s importance for robotic team development during a media event in Adelaide, Australia, last November. Quinn approached TARDEC to discuss a possible second MAGIC event. The competition focused on robotic teaming, which could help both nations’ Soldiers accomplish their tactical missions while maintaining safe stand-off distances from potentially dangerous situations. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

A pair of robots — programmed to work together — scan and prepare to neutralize a simulated “object of interest,” or potential threat, during the MAGIC 2010 competition. Australia’s defense organization has opened talks with TARDEC to discuss a possible second MAGIC event, which focuses on robot teaming as an aid to Soldiers. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

“INTEGRATION is our greatest challenge — to have all systems seamlessly integrated across the Combined Arms Team. The challenge is to have weapons systems integrated with survivability, protection, EW, ISR systems, joint C2 operations and other intelligence systems. Not just tied together, but fully INTEGRATED.”— Steve Quinn

Chief, Land Operations Division, Defence Science and Technology Organisation

and autonomous vehicle systems. The LOD is involved in a sweeping ground combat vehicle (GCV) replacement program called Land 400, which will begin incrementally replacing Australian Army warfighting systems beginning in 2015. The program will significantly enhance the survivability of land forces engaged in combat operations in open and complex terrains with a superior balance of survivability, mobility, lethality, knowledge, sustainability and, of course, INTEGRATED connectivity to provide a range of options in varying operating environments. Systems integrators plan to enhance fleet armored reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities; and provide improved mobility and armored protection levels, along with increased firepower and targeting capabilities for infantry and cavalry maneuver units.

“There are many skill areas at TARDEC, particularly on the human factor side, that help us understand how crews operate and don’t operate with factors including human interface, automation, interface with vehicle systems, command and control systems, integration with weapons and ISR when operating with our

own electronic warfare capability and in the face of foreign EW. This is a problem set shared by both the U.S. and Australia.”

TARDEC will evaluate proposals to work with DSTO to strengthen the relationship and achieve mutual goals. “It was an exceptional visit where we discussed how we could work more closely together to address the concerns that both the Australian Army and U.S. Army share,” commented TARDEC’s Acting Executive Director of Product Development Paul Skalny.

“The key activities we talked about encompassed several of TARDEC’s main technical focus areas, including autonomous systems, vehicle intelligence and energy efficiency.”

Quinn believes that TARDEC and the DSTO can combine their skills to better understand the effects that vibration, driver fatigue and cognition challenges — just to name a few — have on Soldiers in GCVs. “Human-in-the-loop experimentation is costly, time-consuming and a pain in general,” he asserted. “If between ourselves and TARDEC, we can cross-inform each other and share data, we would both save ourselves a lot of time, money and pains.”

As the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems, PEO Combat Service and Combat Service Support, PEO Land Systems (U.S. Marine Corps) and TARDEC pursue vehicle modernization initiatives, they can follow lessons learned from Australia’s land vehicle replacement program. “The Australians are making significant investments in their land warfare systems, so our engineers and program managers could certainly benefit from that,” Skalny noted. “Mr. Quinn was keenly interested in and impressed with TARDEC’s collaborations with industry and universities.” Quinn’s visit to the Detroit area included tours of the Automotive Research Center and the Ground Robotics Reliability Center (GRRC) — both located at the University of Michigan (UM) in Ann Arbor, MI — along with several area private industry partners.

Quinn had a 30-year career in the Australian Army and reached the rank of Brigadier. In 1999, he was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit for his contributions

74

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

UM Team Leader Edwin Olson (right) explaines how his 14 robots visually identified each other using barcodes. Joining him were (from left): Dr. Grace M. Bochenek, TARDEC Director; Overholt; and Quinn, who commented that the first MAGIC competition “whetted our appetites” for a follow-on event. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

“The high quality of testing and evaluation capability for all vehicle types is not brand new to us. What we don’t have is a heavy focus on engineering development with an ability to achieve the engineering depth evident in TARDEC.”— Steve Quinn

Chief, Land Operations Division, Defence Science and Technology Organisation

as Liaison Officer to U.S. Army Materiel Command, and the Army Standardisation Representative to the United States. He was appointed to his current position in 2004. Quinn provides the Australian Army S&T expertise and innovation in support of Australia’s defense and national interests at home and abroad.

The U.S. and Australia have been longtime allies, dating back to at least World War II when Gen. Douglas MacArthur relocated to Australia after leaving the Philippines in 1942. At that time, the South West Pacific Area Command was formed to defend Australia and New Zealand against Japanese attack. These historic ties have been reinforced throughout the past 70 years, including the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Australian armed forces have helped repel insurgent activity in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan region, and are helping to rebuild the economy there today.

75

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Maj. Gen. Mark Kelly, Australian land commander (left), and Warrant Officer One David Ashley of the Australian Army Land Command participate in training with a robot designed for explosives disposal. They’re joined by other members of the America, Britain, Canada, Australia (ABCA) Cooperative Spirit program. This stands as just one recent example of how these allies have worked together since establishing the ABCA partnership in 1947 (New Zealand has since joined too). (U.S. Army photo by SGT Opal Hood.)


Daniel DesMonD is a Writer/Editor with BRTRC and provides contract support to TARDEC’s Strategic Communications team. He has a B.A. in communication from the University of Michigan and has previously edited owner publications for GM divisions and written for The Oakland Press newspaper in Pontiac, MI, and The Associated Press Detroit Bureau.

76

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

77

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

power planAn alliance linking Department of Energy and Army goals

underlines the urgency of achieving energy security and finding solutions for the Nation at large.

By Chris Williams

U.S. Marines with the 2nd Maintenance Company, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), escort fuel trucks to Forward Operating Base Edinburgh in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Lowering the amount of fuel consumed by the military, a key driver of the AVPTA, will limit the number of refueling convoys and keep Soldiers and Marines safe in the field. (USMC photo by Cpl Michael Augusto.)

As the price of oil continues to fluctuate and the Nation searches for fuel-efficiency and an energy future independent of foreign oil, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and Department of the Army (DA) are collaborating to address this pressing national security issue.

The Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance (AVPTA) aligns experts from across DoE, DA and industry to explore solutions for decreasing petroleum dependence, increasing fuel efficiency and enhancing the Nation’s energy security infrastructure. “We have the same vision,” remarked U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Director Dr. Grace M. Bochenek. “This is a good partnership that will provide us the opportunity to share capabilities and access resources that we couldn’t alone. It will help us accelerate technology development, drive innovation, increase the value of our research investments and, at the same time, address the national energy need.”

MOBILITY DRIVES NECESSITYTransporting fuel to the battlefield and distributing it in theater are among the Army’s most significant cost drivers. In Fiscal Year 2010, the Army spent $2.6 billion on fuel alone. Asymmetric threats have placed an increased burden on military vehicles, increasing weight demands and driving the need for greater energy-efficient technologies. Meanwhile, the requirement to keep warfighters expeditionary and global remains vital. “Mobility is the core of

our military capability,” remarked Sharon E. Burke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Plans and Programs. “On the ground, in the air and at sea you have to be able to move. That’s where our challenge is going to be going forward, because we will continue to be a military that has mobility at its heart.”

Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, coupled with the growing worldwide demand for fuel, have contributed to volatility in oil prices felt everywhere from the battlefield to the corner pump. In addition to the $2.6 billion the Army spent on fuel in FY10, the United States spends an estimated $1 billion per day importing oil. “We have to break out of this,” stressed U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu. “We have to invest in a clean energy future that will break our dependence on oil and diversify our transportation sector.”

“Those countries that develop the most-efficient technologies will have a world market. If we don’t get moving, we’ll be importing these new technologies rather than exporting them.”— Dr. Steven Chu

U.S. Secretary of Energy

The global need for increased energy efficiency has set the stage for a potential energy race. As countries across the world begin to develop clean, efficient and affordable energy solutions — such as solar panels, wind turbines, advanced batteries, storage grids and hybrid vehicles — energy security will have important economic consequences, and the U.S. needs to be at the forefront of technology innovation to stay ahead of this emerging market segment. “Those countries that develop the most efficient technologies will have a world market,” Chu stated. “If we don’t get moving, we’ll be importing these new technologies rather than exporting them.”

ESTABLISHING COMMON GROUNDBoth the Department of Defense (DoD) and DoE have tapped their cadre of experts to conduct important research and development into mobility, fuel efficiency and potential alternative energy solutions. It only makes sense, Chu pointed out, for each agency to leverage the insights that result from this work. “The DoD has great research and development capabilities, such as

TARDEC, and they have purchasing power,” Chu commented. “They can serve as a technology test bed and create a market to help drive down costs and help move technologies to the marketplace.

“By increasing our cooperation on advanced vehicle technologies, the DoE and the U.S. Army can accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies that will decrease our dependence on oil,” he continued. “Through this

Alliance, we can strengthen our military, our national security and our economy. Our work together can help create a clean energy economy that will create jobs and make America more competitive.”

The AVPTA was announced at a July 2011 workshop that closely examined areas of interest that could serve as common ground for collaboration, including: • Advanced combustion

engines and transmissions• Lightweight structures and materials• Energy recovery and

thermal management• Alternative fuels and lubricants• Hybrid propulsion systems,

including batteries• Analytical tools

Chu noted that there are several areas where each agency’s experience may prove beneficial, including blast protection and improvised explosive device defeat. “DoE actually knows explosives probably comparably to the Army. During the Manhattan Project, we had to know precisely what an explosive did to implode plutonium and uranium,” he explained. “We have kept up this capability over the decades, so we can simulate explosions very well. With DoE’s expertise in high-performance computing, perhaps, we can simulate what materials have the lightest weight and determine the most protective armor for our Soldiers.”

Likewise, Army advances in energy management on installations and at forward operating bases may hold the key to efficiently managing energy in cities throughout the United States. “We would like to imagine an Army base that, a few years from now, may operate on geothermal power, have buildings and structures powered by solar panels and is attached to microgrids where we plug in electric vehicles to store energy,” explained Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment

78

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu stresses the importance of enhancing energy security during the AVPTA announcement, July 18 at NextEnergy in Detroit, MI. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

“The DoD has great research and development capabilities, such as TARDEC, and they have purchasing power. They can serve as a technology test bed and create a market to help drive down costs and help move technologies to the marketplace.”— Dr. Steven Chu

U.S. Secretary of Energy

Katherine Hammack. “A base that’s able to complete its mission if our Nation’s fragile grids get hit with human or natural threats. A base that could be a blueprint for American communities to learn from and develop [logical] approaches to ensure we have similar and reliable resources.”

INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATIONThe collaboration took its first major steps forward as associates from DoE, DA and industry gathered to discuss their organizations’ respective current energy needs and technology research focuses. The workshop addressed each key area for potential collaboration, including hybrid-electric vehicles, advanced batteries, lightweight materials, and alternative and renewable fuels. While many participants acknowledged that viable solutions may still be years away, Under Secretary of the Army Dr. Joseph Westphal acknowledged the importance of advance planning to support the Future Force, and accelerating potential technology solutions wherever possible.

“This is an opportunity for innovation to have a broader perspective to it,” he explained. “The Army has huge energy demands across our platforms

for everything from generators, batteries and robotics. There’s a lot of ambiguity in the future. This work will help us think about whether we can make significant progress in reducing costs, protecting the environment and shaping a better world for all of us.”

“Strong partnerships between government and the private

sector will be crucial to rapidly developing solutions, especially in an era of economic uncertainty,” Westphal continued. “To make this partnership work, we really need industry and academia to participate, because the innovation is really going to come from them. We need to be able to push this faster and extend all of this forward

79

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Plans and Programs Sharon Burke stresses the importance of keeping Army vehicles mobile to AVPTA workshop attendees. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

“Mobility is the core of our military capability. On the ground, in the air and at sea you have to be able to move. That’s where our challenge is going to be going forward, because we will continue to be a military that has mobility at its heart.”— Sharon E. Burke

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Plans and Programs

MG Nick Justice, Commanding General, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), and U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) prepare for two days of energy discussions at the AVPTA workshop. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

… So our efforts are to get that innovation and push it to industry.”

It’s a challenge that industry experts are willing to accept, and workshop participants lauded the progress in breaking through bureaucratic red tape. “There is no question that we have learned how to break down the ‘industry/government wall,’” remarked General Motors Vice President of Global Research and Design Dr. Alan Taub. “I think the challenge

now is how we find the common ground between the military and commercial needs and create the right kind of working relationship with the military vehicle suppliers and these two government agencies and actually put projects in place.”

DoE and DA have already identified several “quick win” areas where expertise can be leveraged, including: • Utilizing automotive technology

investments in lightweight vehicle structures.

• Improving platform efficiency by recovering thermal energy from the engine exhaust for military and passenger/commercial vehicles.

• Developing an improved test method

to determine the bulk modulus of liquid transportation fuels.

• Developing a battery design suite that that encompasses models ranging from electrochemical and cell level all the way to pack and system level.

“Both the Army and DoE have long-standing traditions of working with vehicle technology, as well as a history of working together,” stated Program Manager for the DoE Vehicle Technologies Program Patrick Davis. “We hope the vehicle-related work that takes place under this relationship will grow and help future organizations achieve these goals faster and more effectively.”

Westphal remarked that the partnership may provide significant benefits to both the Army and the private sector. “President Obama has made it clear that now is the time to secure our energy future. We must increase efficiency in Army vehicles to accomplish this vital national goal This powerful collaboration between the Army and the Department of Energy will ultimately support our Soldiers and forces, both abroad and here at home, by providing vehicles that are lighter, more efficient, less dependent on carbon fuels, and yet survivable and sustainable. They will provide the platforms for the next generation of fighting systems that are good for the environment and still meet the Army’s military mission requirements,” Westphal concluded

80

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

AUTHOR BIO:cHris williaMs is a Senior Writer/Editor and provides contract support to TARDEC’s Strategic Communications team. He has a B.A. in communication from Wayne State University, and has previously written for The Source newspaper in Shelby Township, MI, and The Macomb Daily and C & G Newspapers in Macomb County, MI.

A U.S. Soldier refuels a 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, vehicle at a fuel point in Iraq. The AVPTA is focused on increasing fuel efficiency, decreasing petroleum dependence and enhancing the Nation’s energy infrastructure. (U.S. Army photo by PFC Khori Johnson.)

“President Obama has made it clear that now is the time to secure our energy future. We must increase efficiency in Army vehicles to accomplish this vital national goal.”— Dr. Joseph Westphal

Under Secretary of the Army

A convoy of fuel trucks pulls into Convoy Support Center Adder at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. Lowering petroleum usage will ensure that fewer of these potentially dangerous convoys are required in theater. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Matthew Keeler.)

81

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

sTewarDs oF energYFor the Detroit Arsenal, sustainable energy research cannot be pursued with a “do-as-we-say” attitude. The actions taken have to help the Army set standards for steps that should be taken at every installation. By Michael I. Roddin and Steve Ball

overseas contingency operations (ocos): Two Soldiers coordinate security points while inspecting new solar-powered light placement at a checkpoint. (DoD photo by U.S. Army SPC Jesse Gross.)

Energy efficiency and security is a critical issue for the Army. The Army depends on a reliable, safe, cost-effective supply of energy to accomplish its mission, as well as provide a good quality of life for Soldiers, civilians and families on installations worldwide. To the extent that the supply and distribution of energy lay outside the Army’s control, the ability to accomplish our mission is open to risk. The same can be said of water, or practically any of our resources. If the Army is to accomplish its mission in the future . . . then we have to start operating sustainably today. It is the right thing to do.

— LTG Rick Lynch, Commanding General U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM)

While our primary focus is on improving efficiency for combat and tactical ground vehicles, many of the same principles behind the energy-efficient technologies we develop can also be leveraged in support of the conservation and sustainability efforts being undertaken by the Army’s installations. The combination of these efforts and TARDEC’s [Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center's] capabilities can lead to new and innovative ways for the Army to create and utilize sustainable energy solutions. We are dedicated to working with our partners at the Detroit Arsenal Garrison however we can to help advance the Army sustainability efforts and achieve the overall energy and environmental goals.

— Grace M. Bochenek, Ph.D. TARDEC Director

Integrating sustainability into day-to-day operations is a challenge all Army ground vehicle programs and installations have been charged to accomplish. The Detroit Arsenal and its tenant organizations are no exception. In fact, the Arsenal has emerged as an Army leader in developing innovative techniques, processes, procedures and products to meet or exceed the Army’s exacting standards governing energy sustainability and energy efficiency.

The Arsenal has taken multiple steps to increase efficiency and reduce overall energy use since 2005. Energy-saving projects through third-party financing and in-house initiatives have reduced energy consumption by 50 billion British thermal units (BTUs) on a yearly basis. The projects included replacing about 18,000 existing light fixtures with energy-efficient bulbs, installing occupancy sensors, replacing outdated and inefficient motors with energy-efficient motors, and installing variable air controls in heating and cooling systems. The Arsenal used 330,000 million BTUs in fiscal year (FY) 2010. In FY 2011, it used 295,000 million

BTUs. Without these efforts, it would have been closer to 400,000 million BTUs and 350,000 million BTUs, respectively. A further comparison is that an individual used on average 46 million BTUs in FY2010. In FY 2011, that had been reduced to 34 million BTUs.

“Integrating sustainability into our culture and making it part of our everyday decisions will ensure efficient use of our dwindling resources,” stated former Detroit Arsenal Garrison Manager Brenda Lee McCullough. “We are aware of our fundamentally different fiscal reality and we must modernize and sustain our infrastructure while ensuring dollars spent equal savings in the future.”

The Arsenal installed solar energy panels with a 20-kW capacity to power the post-wide emergency announcement systems and the Access Control Point at the 11 Mile Road Gate. “Energy efficiency is also being improved by converting some steam heat systems to natural gas heat systems,” stated Garrison Energy Manager Mohammed Ikram. Natural gas is more efficient than steam in many cases because of the way that it is collected/produces energy. While it is impossible to transfer all steam heat to natural gas systems, the systems that have been transferred over show anywhere between 20 to 30 percent improvements in efficiency, Ikram noted.

ARMY IMPERATIVES PROVIDE BASIS FOR CHANGEAccording to the 2005 U.S. Army Energy Strategy for Installations, Army facilities represented 36 percent of Department of Defense (DoD) facilities’ energy expenditures. As an Army entering its second decade of war, leaders are spearheading a drive to implement energy sustainability practices to lower fixed installation, contingency

base camp and combat and tactical vehicle energy consumption and logistic footprints. “The Army Energy Security Implementation Strategy [TAESIS] covers energy security from the installation level to the fox hole,” explained former Army Energy Policy Director Shawn Walsh. The AESIS highlights five Energy Security Goals (ESGs), including:• Reduce energy consumption.• Increase energy efficiency

across platforms and facilities.• Increase use of renewable/

alternative energy.• Assure access to sufficient

energy supplies.• Reduce adverse impacts

to the environment.

The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, in concert with the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM), is

82

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

IMCOM Commanding General (CG) LTG Rick Lynch speaks to U.S. Army Garrison — Detroit Arsenal leaders during a recent visit to the installation. Creating a sustainable infrastructure was a key message during the CG’s visit. IMCOM is committed to creating energy- and water-efficient installations by holding users accountable, modernizing facilities, installing new technologies and leveraging partnerships that will provide senior commanders an increased level of energy and water security, leading to sustainable and resilient infrastructure and mission assurance. (U.S. Army Garrison — Detroit Arsenal Public Affairs Office (PAO) photo.)

The “almost complete dependence of military installations on fragile and vulnerable commercial power grids and other critical national infrastructure, places critical military and Homeland defense missions at an unacceptably high risk of extended disruption.”— Defense Science Board Report

actively working to reduce these vulnerabilities within its facilities, laboratories and engineering centers to make them more energy efficient, sustainable and less commercially dependent.

A crucial goal is to build and sustain an infrastructure capable of supporting current and future missions.

“The focus on our objectives to be a leader in sustainable practices, establish a sustainable community-oriented master plan, and be a leader in environmental stewardship and energy and water conservation will drive innovation on our installation,” McCullough remarked. “We are proud of our partnership with TARDEC [Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center], and we owe it to all our community, tenants and workforce to be the leader in sustaining our infrastructure to ensure they can provide the best support to our warfighters.”

An upcoming project that supports the energy-savings mission is 500-kW Simulation Integration Lab (SIL) microgrid at Building 200C that will provide power to the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected and Stryker SILs as well as the Arsenal parking lot lights. A 500 kW Electric Power Control and Conditioning Unit will be installed adjacent to Building 200C that will have 80 kW of exportable power geared to supplement the current DTE power feed. Money will be saved since the solar energy produced will be used first with the DTE power feed as the backup. Also, lithium-ion batteries with a minimum 200 kW hours of energy and an 80 kW diesel generator will provide backup power in case of a blackout and depletion of renewable energy. A completion date of spring 2012 is expected.

“If we had a power outage, as TARDEC did over the Fourth of July weekend, those SILs would still be able to operate,” noted TARDEC Electrical Engineer Jillian McDonald, who is in charge of the project.

TARDEC IMPLEMENTS STRATEGIC SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE PLAN (SSPP)TARDEC leadership has partnered with IMCOM Garrison leadership to pursue Army-wide sustainability efforts through its internal SSPP. The SSPP defines sustainability as, “A means to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.” Ultimately, the plan is designed to aggressively support the Army’s mission to save energy, increase security and reduce fossil fuel use.

Internal working teams, representing all aspects of TARDEC along with partners from the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, the Garrison, as well as the local community, were established to develop TARDEC’s SSPP. The working teams addressed everything from renewable energy, water resources, sustainable buildings, air emissions and pollution prevention, to sustainable acquisitions, community systems and knowledge management.

Detroit Arsenal accomplishments to date include:• Diverting more than two tons

of cardboard from landfills.• Instituting cell phone, eyeglass

and battery recycling programs.• Diverting 12 tons of materials

in 2008 and 2009 from personal computer recycling.

The Arsenal also supports the Army’s Energy Security goals through steps such as whole-building design efficiencies, and the Garrison Department of Public Works is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and TARDEC buildings

83

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

“Integrating sustainability into our culture and making it part of our everyday decisions will ensure efficient use of our dwindling resources. We are aware of our fundamentally different fiscal reality and we must modernize and sustain our infrastructure while ensuring dollars spent equal savings in the future.”— Brenda Lee McCullough

Former Detroit Arsenal Garrison Manager

Working Smarter at the Detroit Arsenal. A computer system that requires year round-cooling was recently retrofitted with a Free Cooling System that takes advantage of Michigan’s winter temperatures. This cooling unit is reducing costs and energy usage across the Detroit Arsenal. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

as new construction and renovations occur on the installation. By fiscal year 2020, the goal is to make all buildings comply with either the “Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings” or achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver Level Certification eligibility. The LEED green building rating system promotes design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.

REDUCING ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Renewable energy sources will help the Army reduce its dependence on fossil fuels while also avoiding adverse environmental impacts. TARDEC’s SSPP calls for increasing the energy derived from renewable resources

for its tests and mission-related operations by 2020. The TARDEC plan sets a near-term goal of using on-site renewable sources to produce 7.5 percent of the energy it consumes by 2013, with a follow-on milestone of 10 percent by 2020. By 2030, all new TARDEC military construction through the Garrison and Army Corps of Engineers will be Net-Zero buildings that produce as much energy as they annually consume.

According to Detroit Arsenal officials, closed-loop water recirculators and filtration systems have already saved more than 998,000 gallons of water, and insulated piping has saved more than 50 gallons of liquid nitrogen.

In addition, the ISO Steering Committee Communication subgroup, involved the distribution of 750 blue recycle bins. “The blue plastic bins were made available

to make the collection of other recyclable material more convenient and, perhaps, easier to manage for associates at their desks,” stated TARDEC Environmental Management System (EMS) Communications Subgroup Team Leader Greg Rusch.

Provided by TARDEC, these bins enabled on-site recycling of total waste throughout the Detroit Arsenal of 17.61 percent in April 2010, 18.89 percent in May 2010 and 20.23 percent in June 2010, for a total of 39.58 tons of recycled materials during this 3-month period. “On a good week, my recycle material bin is more full than my trash,” Rusch stated.

TARDEC is the first Army laboratory to keep its ISO 14001 (2004) certification since 2003. TARDEC’s EMS is a world-class system that has passed its last five annual surveillance and

84

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Solar Power for Contingency Base Camp Operations. A U.S. Air Force (USAF) Ground Radio Technician performs maintenance on a solar panel affixed to the federal signal ultra voice tower in Southwest Asia. (USAF photo by TSgt Jason W. Edwards.)

recertification audits with zero findings of nonconformance. According to auditors, this is an almost unheard of success within both the Army and industry.

“TARDEC is committed to lead continual improvement initiatives to reuse, reduce and recycle to lessen our impact on the environment for the benefit of future generations,” remarked Frank J. Devuono, G4/9 Director of Center Support .

The Arsenal was recently recognized as a leader in environmental stewardship, receiving the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Neighborhood Environmental Partner Program Award and being named a Clean Corporate Citizen for its continued efforts in environmental efficiencies and community outreach.“Our goal is to reduce the dependency of energy-draining consumption and leave a legacy installation for our future workforce and community,” McCullough explained.

In his April 2011 Army Magazine article, LTG Rick Lynch concluded by saying, “Only through systems thinking will we move beyond isolated projects or initiatives — which carry the risk of achieving in one area at the expense of another — to strategic, integrated planning that balances benefits and costs across our operations and ensures enduring capabilities into the future. If the Army is to accomplish its mission in the future, if we are to continue

to provide a good quality of life for Soldiers and families, be good neighbors to those outside our gates, and leave a healthy environment for our children and grandchildren, then we all have to commit to operating sustainably today.”

Editor’s Note: For the complete text of AESIS, please visit the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment) website at: http://www.asaie.army.mil/Public/Partnerships/EnergySecurity/. For More Fight — Less Fuel, please visit the Defense Technical Information Center’s website at: http://1.usa.gov/8CSE0K. For the complete 2005 U.S. Army Energy Strategy for Installations text, please visit the Army Energy Program’s website at: http://army-energy.hqda.pentagon.mil/programs/plan.asp.

85

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N


sTeve ball is the U.S. Army Garrison – Detroit Arsenal Public Affairs Officer. He holds associates degrees in public relations and human recourses from the Community College of the Air Force and is a graduate of the Defense Information School Journalism Course, Editor’s Course and Photojournalism Course. He served as a journalist and public affairs professional for more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, and his awards include Top Air Force Photojournalist in Europe and Top Air Force Magazine in Europe.

Recycling stations throughout the Detroit Arsenal serve multiple purposes — collecting recyclable materials and providing constant reminders that recycling and being environmentally conscious drives the installation’s sustainability programs. (U.S. Army Garrison — Detroit Arsenal PAO photo.)

“The Army Energy Security Implementation Strategy covers energy security from the installation level to the fox hole.”— Shawn Walsh

Former Army Energy Policy Director

putting the sun to work. This Detroit Arsenal emergency announcement system was recently equipped with solar panels to reduce the installation’s energy footprint and reliance on the commercial power grid. This is just one of many initiatives the Arsenal is pursuing to embrace energy efficiency and become self-sufficient. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo by Brian Ferencz.)

86

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

infoinbrief

Describing small fighting units as “adaptable and prepared for the unexpected,” Army Vice Chief of Staff GEN Peter Chiarelli, along with other key leaders, declared that the paradigm for how the Army fights wars has changed and technology must be designed around the Soldier on the ground.

“Warfare as we know it has changed forever. We no longer fight national armies on linear battlefields,” Chiarelli explained in a recent speech. “The fact remains, in the operational environments we find ourselves in today, it is usually the Army’s NCOs [non-commissioned officers] and enlisted Soldiers who are on the ground dealing with situations when they do arise. They are the source of most game-changing decisions on today’s battlefield.”

Chiarelli explained that information and decision-making once flowed down from the senior level of command to subordinate leaders “on an as-needed basis in the form of operations orders and other command directives. This is no longer the case. The pyramid is now inverted. The majority of information is now collected by Soldiers and Marines at the unit level,” he observed. “We need to find a way to provide leaders and Soldiers ready access to significantly more information than in past wars.”

One of the most immediate steps in that direction will be plans for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment Two, which extends satellite communications to the company level and provides increased bandwidth for on-the-move ground-level operations.

“The reality is, the Army’s success in the future requires us to empower leaders and Soldiers at the tactical small-unit level,” Chiarelli summarized. “Instead of attaching things to the Soldier, we are designing systems around the Soldier. This represents significant progress, and we must continue to work together to get the needed capability into the hands of our warfighters.”

Former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Dr. Malcolm O’Neill also urged defense industry partners to “reinvent S&T around the Soldier.” And Director, Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC), LTG Michael A. Vane elaborated on the Army’s pilot programs testing the use of smartphones, digital applications and software to enhance small unit communications capabilities.

vice chief stresses importance of Technology at ground level

U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff GEN Peter Chiarelli thanks 43rd Sustainment Brigade Soldiers for their continued service to the Nation at Kandahar Airfield in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Chiarelli believes Soldiers should be more empowered at the tactical small-unit level. (U.S. Army photo by CPL Carol A. Lehman.)

87

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

Calling the Soldiers who serve in the U.S. Army “courageous, competent, confident and compassionate,” new Army Chief of Staff GEN Raymond T. Odierno pledged that he would sustain the Nation’s all-volunteer Army and keep it the best-equipped, best-trained and best-led force in the world.

After his appointment as 38th Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA) this fall, Odierno commented that he looks forward to visiting camps, posts and operating bases to meet Soldiers.

“The strength of our Nation is our Army; the strength of our Army is our Soldiers; the strength of our Soldiers is our Families,” Odierno related to Soldiers at his swearing-in ceremony. “This is what makes us Army Strong. You live our Army Values 24/7 in all you do. Discipline, high standards and fitness are your watch words. You are the best our country has to offer.”

The CSA has the responsibility for training, equipping, maintaining and sustaining more than 500,000 Soldiers. Odierno has been a Soldier for more than 35 years. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point

in 1976 with a B.S. degree in engineering, and then earned an M.S. degree in nuclear effects engineering from North Carolina State University.

He commanded troops in both Iraq wars. Most recently, Odierno has served as Commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, United States Forces-Iraq and U.S. Joint Forces Command.

new chief of staff: army’s strength is its people

As the CSA, GEN Odierno looks forward to meeting Soldiers at bases all over the world. Here, he mingles with Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Forward Operating Base Q-West, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo.)

Dr. David Lamb was recently recognized for his contribution in improving ground vehicle reliability standards. Lamb, TARDEC’s Senior Technical Expert for Modeling and Simulation, earned the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Technical Standards Board Outstanding Contribution Award for his work as chairperson on SAE’s Ground Vehicle Reliability Committee (GVRC). “Within the committee we’ve been

trying to write technical standards to define and measure the reliability of the vehicles and the different

subsystems,” Lamb explained. “We’re focusing mainly on system-level reliability aspects, and we try to emphasize predictive estimates of the reliability that we could use in the design cycle, as opposed to after-the-fact assessment when it’s too late to fix things.”

SAE Fellow and University of Louisville Professor Dr. Glen Prater nominated Lamb for the award. “SAE technical standards are invaluable to the global automotive industry and referred to regularly in our research,” commented Prater, who worked with Lamb through SAE and in partnerships between Louisville and TARDEC. “Dr. Lamb’s service and success in leading the GVRC reflect very well on TARDEC.”

Lamb received the award during the SAE World Congress, held in Detroit, MI. “It’s great to be recognized and know that SAE feels that the work I’ve been doing on the technical committees and throughout my profession is important,” he concluded.

Dr. David lamb Honored for ‘invaluable’ contribution to ground vehicle reliability

Dr. David Lamb receives the Technical Standards Board Outstanding Contribution Award during the 2011 SAE World Congress in Detroit. (U.S. Army TARDEC photo.)

88

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

N

A Mine-Resistant Ambushed-Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) aids in security duty in Wanake Valley, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Combined Task Force Viper carried out the Operation Viper Slam search-and-seizure plan to locate Taliban members and their supporters. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Kristina Truluck, 55th Signal Company.)

Joint efforts are a hallmark of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Program. Joint Project Office (JPO) MRAP, U.S. Marine Corps and Army engineers and technicians, along with industry partners, have worked together to provide warfighters in Afghanistan with a highly survivable and mobile platform: the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV).

Here are five highlights that demonstrate the M-ATV’s diverse capability.

Five THings aboUT

M-aTv

89

JOIN

T C

OL

LA

BO

RA

TIV

E P

AR

TN

ER

SH

IPS

ED

ITIO

NJoint Collaborative Partnerships Edition


The 370-horsepower turbocharged inline-6 diesel engine produces a ferocious amount of torque (925 lb-ft) to move warfighters out of a hazardous situation.

The M-aTv has several survivability features. The v-shaped hull is designed to redirect ieD blasts out and away from the crew compartment. additionally, run-flat tires allow the vehicle to be driven 30-50 miles at 30 mph if tires are damaged in an attack.

a 360-Degree situation awareness (sa) system is expected to increase combat effectiveness and warfighter safety by providing a simultaneous field of view. Jpo Mrap and intelligent ground systems have combined efforts to design, fabricate and integrate a 360sa kit onto an M-aTv.

The fully independent suspension system improves all-terrain mobility. The axle configuration offers vertical wheel travel of up to 16 inches for each wheel, which allows the crew to drive over rugged, sometimes extreme, off-road terrain and maintain greater side-slope stability. engineers designed the M-aTvs for about 70 percent off-road travel — where no Mrap has likely been able to go before.

The joint team built M-aTvs to support small unit combat operations in a range of conditions, including highly restricted rural, mountainous, and urban environments. The M-aTv can be configured and fitted with service-specific equipment to support a variety of mission profiles including mounted patrols, reconnaissance, security, convoy protection, communications, command and control, and combat service support.

UNCLAS: Dist A. Approved for public release. TARDEC requests that any reproduction of these articles and electronic media give appropriate credit to the original source (publication, author, photographer).

6501 E. ElEvEn MilE Rd.WaRREn, Mi 48937-5000

FOLLOWUS:

OnFacebookatU.S.ArmyTARDEC

OnTwitteratTARDEC_PAO

FindenhancedcontentintheelectroniceditionofaccelerateMagazine:http://tardec.army.mil

peo scoTT Davis explainsthechallengesandsuccessesinmodernizingtheArmy’sGroundCombatSystems.

THe ribbon briDge onthecoverismorethanameansofcrossingariver—itrepresentsjointeffortbywarfightersandengineersinthefield.

clean energY andfuelefficiencywerethecatalystforthefirstAdvancedVehiclePowerTechnologyAlliancetoforgeastrategicalliancefortheArmyandDOE.

JoinT cenTer forgroUnD veHiclestakesArmyandUSMCcollaborationtoanunprecedentedlevel.

Don'T Miss:MGJustice’sNASCARconnection,howabladeattachmentcansavelivesonpatrolsandfivethingsyoumaynotknowabouttheMRAPAll-TerrainVehicle.

Accelerate Joint Collaborative Partnerships Edition

Documents

Transcript of Accelerate Joint Collaborative Partnerships Edition