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. Efforts included in this project are: (1) Special Purpose Unit (SPU) Rapid Capability Development and Deployment (RCDD) (2) Joint Service Aircrew Mask (JSAM) Rotary Wing (RW), JSAM for Strategic Aircraft (SA), JSAM for Tactical Aircraft (TA) (3) Uniform Integrated Protective Ensemble (UIPE) Family of Systems (FoS) SPU RCDD will facilitate rapid JPEO-CBRND/JPL SOF RCDD response to near-term and emergent chemical-biological defensive capability requirements from elements of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), select elements from across the Special Operations Force (SOF) Enterprise such as Combatant Commanders Response Forces (CRFs) and other Joint Force enabling units such as the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Command. This funding directly underwrites operational relevance in a challenging geo-political landscape and within an ever-increasing threat environment. SPU RCDD mitigates risk across the CBDP by creating a portfolio of operationally-relevant CB capabilities that can be quickly transitioned to needed elements and formations of the joint force, in whole or part, in response to the articulated, emergent capability needs of the geographic combatant commanders. These objectives are met by the early transitioning of promising science and technologies (S&T) from the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) among others; the focused conduct of combat evaluations and mission-oriented operational assessments to assess technological and mission suitability; and the active leveraging of existing Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products along with novel redesign approaches to optimize existing solutions to new challenges supported by "buy-try-decide-acquire" acquisition strategies. The JSAM RW, JSAM SA, and JSAM TA are Acquisition Category (ACAT) III programs developed to provide respiratory and ocular protection. The JSAM is a lightweight Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protective mask for most United States Army (USA), Navy (USN), Air Force (USAF), and Marine Corps (USMC) rotary wing and fixed wing 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 (garments, boots, gloves and mask) 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. 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. Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble (UIPE) Family of Systems (FoS). UIPE FoS will develop a family of systems that will provide the broad spectrum of users with individual percutaneous protective equipment allowing the ability to operate in a contaminated environment with no or minimal degradation in performance. UIPE FoS will provide protection from operationally relevant traditional, non-traditional, and advanced chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear/Toxic Industrial Material threats likely to be encountered during joint force operations. In FY19, Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble Increment 2 (UIPE 2) will be moved under Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble Family of Systems (UIPE FoS) because the program will have more than one solution to meet the Warfighters needs. This is reflected in not only the name change but in the structure of the program. Instead of the program being driven towards meeting individual Service needs, the program is designed to meet mission area needs. There are four Mission Areas: Land, Air, Sea, and Homeland Defense. Each of the Mission Areas has unique mission requirements that the UIPE FoS solutions will seek to fulfill. The acquisition strategy allows for multiple decision points throughout product development, which provides flexibility to accelerate mature commercial-off the-shelf/non-developmental item solutions and fully develop less mature solutions.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: IP5_0604384BP_5_0400_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

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