INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION (EMD)

Abstract

This project provides Engineering & Manufacturing Development Phase and Low Rate Initial Production (EMD/LRIP) for individual protection equipment, with the goal of providing 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. Experimentation and demonstration will be used in this phase to reduce risk and inform supporting materiel solutions, Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and Techniques, Tactics, and Procedures (TTP). Efforts included in this project are: (1) the Joint Service Aircrew Mask (JSAM) for Rotary Wings (RW), JSAM Strategic Aircraft (SA), JSAM Tactical Aircraft (TA), JSAM Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), and (2) Uniform Integrated Protective Ensemble (UIPE) Increment 2. (1) The JSAM RW, JSAM SA, JSAM TA, and JSAM-JSF are Acquisition Category (ACAT) III programs developed to provide respiratory and ocular protection. The JSAM will be a lightweight chemical and biological (CB) protective mask that will be worn as CB protection for most United States Army (USA), Air Force (USAF), Navy (USN), and Marine Corps (USMC) fixed wing and RW aircrew. All JSAM variants will be compatible with most below-the-neck (BTN) CB protection ensembles and existing aircrew life support equipment (ALSE). They will include a protective hood assembly, CB filter, blower assembly (except JSAM SA), and an intercom for ground communication. They will also provide flame protection, demist/emergency demist (except JSAM SA), and anti-drowning features. The goal of the JSAM programs is to develop, manufacture, field, and sustain an aircrew respirator system that, in conjunction with BTN clothing ensembles, will provide the capability for all aircrew to operate in an actual or perceived CB warfare environment. The JSAM RW mask is being developed for use by pilots and aircrew in the majority of DoD RW aircraft in the USA (H-60, H-6, H-47, H-72), USAF (H-1 and H-60), and USN/USMC (H-60, H-1, and H-53). The JSAM RW will integrate with most BTN CB ensembles, normal aircrew flight equipment, and RW flight helmets. The system contains a removable face plate, allowing the user to fly "face free" in Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) 3 (garment, boots, and mask) and easily install the face plate when the threat level dictates, thereby reducing physiological and psychological burden. If threat level warrants, the user can install their face plate into an already donned hood and enter MOPP 4 without removing their flight helmet. The JSAM SA mask will provide individual respiratory, ocular, and percutaneous protection of chemical and biological warfare agents, and select toxic industrial chemicals for USAF (E-3, E-8, C-135s, C-17, C-145, C-146, C-130s, C-5), Aeromedical personnel (C-130s, KC-10, U-18, CV-22, KC-135, C-12s, KC-46), USN (P-8, E-6, C-40, C-12, C-20), USMC (C-9, C-12, C-20, UC-35), and USA (RC-7, C-12s, C-20, C-26, UC-35, C-37) strategic aircrew. The mask components will be optimized to minimize their impact on the wearer's performance and maximize its ability to interface with aircrew protective clothing. JSAM SA will provide pressure breathing for altitude for aircraft that do not require pressure breathing for gravity. JSAM SA will integrate with aircraft subsystems which include aviation life support equipment, aircrew flight equipment, aircraft seating, portable aircrew systems, communications systems, and aircraft oxygen systems. Prior to FY16, this project was funded under the JSAM FW funding line. The JSAM TA mask will provide individual respiratory, ocular, and percutaneous protection of chemical and biological warfare agents, and select toxic industrial chemicals for USAF (F-22 A), USN (C-2 A, E-2 C/D, E/A-18G, F/A-18 A/C/E/F), and USMC (F/A-18 A/C/D, AV-8B, KC-130J and MV-22) tactical aircrew members. The mask components will be optimized to minimize their impact on the wearer's performance and maximize its ability to interface with aircrew protective clothing. JSAM TA will be compatible with anti-G systems, providing Chemical, Biological, Radiological (CBR) protection without degrading protection against gravity induced loss of consciousness (GLOC) up to 9 Gz . JSAM TA will integrate with essential aircraft subsystems. Prior to FY16, this project was funded under the JSAM FW funding line. The JSAM-JSF is a CB respirator being specifically designed to support the F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) and procured by the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office. It is designed to ensure that system integration and qualification of CB protection and survivability requirements are achieved as derived from the JSF Operational Requirements Document. When integrated with aircraft and pilot mounted equipment, the JSAM-JSF will provide combined CB, hypoxia and anti-G protection to all F-35 users, including the USAF, USN, USMC, and International Partners. Prior to FY15, this project was funded under the JSAM FW funding line. (2) The Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble (UIPE) is a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) protective system offering the capability to select a tailored material solution based on the expected threat level commensurate with operational mission requirements. Where appropriate, a family of systems approach that meets the scope of UIPE individual protection capability needs will be utilized. The objective of UIPE is to fully integrate CBRN and toxic industrial material (TIM) protections into an ensemble, identical in fit and form to the combat uniform (including mask - helmet integration and protective boots and gloves), thus negating the need for separate protective ensemble components. This integrated protection approach will result in increased warfighter operational performance in a CBRN environment. The UIPE program will develop, integrate, test, procure and field incremental capability solutions that are modular in function and offer improvements in form and fit over current systems; the program will explore trade-space in areas such as protection level, heat stress, durability, antimicrobial properties, flame resistance, launderability, self-detoxification, and protection time in order to provide capabilities that afford maximum utility to the warfighter. Where appropriate modeling and simulation tools will be used to lower UIPE program risks, reduce costs, and ensure a high confidence in selected technologies. UIPE is aimed specifically at providing enhanced individual protection capabilities to the warfighter through reduction of physiological and psychological effects associated with CBRN protective garment thermal burden, weight, and bulk. The UIPE program will consider modernization in order to ensure that the warfighter retains access to state of the art capability to support future operational mission requirements. The UIPE Increment 2 will seek to provide reduced thermal burden and weight compared to current protective ensembles. It will develop, integrate, test, procure, and field incremental capability solutions that are modular in function and offer improvements over current systems. The program will explore trade-space in areas such as protection level, heat stress, durability, antimicrobial properties, flame resistance, launderability, self-detoxification, and protection time in order to provide capabilities that afford maximum utility to the Warfighter. Where appropriate, modeling and simulation tools will be used to lower UIPE Increment 2 program risks, reduce costs, and ensure a high confidence in selected technologies.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2018
• Source ID: IP5_0604384BP_5_0400_PB_2018

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
• Materials Science

Technology Areas

• Space