INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION (SDD)

Abstract

This project funds System Development and Demonstration (SDD) of individual protection equipment, the goal is to provide equipment that allows the individual soldier, sailor, airman, or marine to operate in a contaminated Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) environment with little or no degradation of his/her performance. The three efforts listed below are funded in this program: (1) The Joint Service Aircrew Mask (JSAM) is an Acquisition Category (ACAT) III Family of Systems (FoS) respiration system being incrementally developed. JSAM MPU-6 Apache Rotary Wing (RW) masks is for use with the Apache Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System, JSAM MBU-25/26 (V)/P Fixed Wing (FW) respirator are being developed for use on limited number of U.S. Air Force Fixed Wing aircraft and the JSAM MPU-5 Rotary Wing (RW) for use in the majority of Department of Defense (DoD's) RW aircraft. The goal of the overall JSAM project is to develop, manufacture, field and sustain an aircrew respirator system that, in conjunction with a below-the-neck (BTN) clothing ensemble, will provide the capability for all aircrew to fly throughout their full operating envelope in an actual or perceived Chemical and Biological (CB) warfare environment. JSAM will be a lightweight CB protective mask that will be worn as CB protection for most Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine rotary and fixed-wing aircrew members. The JSAM (FW) will be the first and only CB protective mask in the DoD inventory that can provide anti-G protection, up to 9 times the vertical force (Gz), for aircrew in high performance aircraft. All JSAM variants will be compatible with most below-the-neck CB ensembles and existing aircrew life support equipment. They will include a protective hood assembly, CB filter, blower assembly, and an intercom for ground communication. They will provide flame and thermal protection, provide hypoxia protection to 60,000 feet, demist/emergency demist and anti-drown features. The MBU-26 (V)/P (FW) variants are being designed to be capable of being donned/doffed in flight. (2) The Joint Service General Purpose Mask (JSGPM) funds SDD of respiratory and ocular protection technologies aimed at providing incremental upgrades for the JSGPM. Additionally, this project funds the Technology Development (TD) phase of the Advanced Respiratory Protection Initiative (ARPI) program for developing revolutionary materials, design and concepts that may be transitioned into future CB ensembles. Performance enhancements for all respiratory and ocular protection programs will be focused on increasing the protection levels of the systems from Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) while reducing the physiological and logistical burdens. (3) The Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble (UIPE) program (formerly LCBE) will pursue an evolutionary incremental approach to provide capability to the Warfighter. Each increment of UIPE will provide technologies with military utility that are modular in function, and offer improvement in form and fit over current systems. The UIPE program will develop, integrate, test, procure and field systems that increase Warfighter operational performance in a CBRN environment via the use of emerging technologies and by leveraging tradespace in areas such as protection level, heat stress, durability, antimicrobial properties, launderability, self-detoxification, protection time, etc. Where appropriate, modeling and simulation tools will be used to lower UIPE program risks, reduce costs and ensure a high confidence in selected technologies.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: IP5_0604384BP_5_0400_PB_2012

Tags

Readers

• Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
• Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
• Materials Science