WAR: Stronger Armor Plating Proposed for Use on Humvees, page 1

posted on Jan, 13 2005 @ 02:01 PM

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Edward Dovner, long-time producer of bullet-proof vests has found a new application for his exceedingly strong material that is both lighter and more resistant to attacks than the standard aluminum currently used on Humvee doors. Dovners decision has come in response to numerous attacks on Humvees by AP rounds and RPG's by Iraqi insurgents.

www.boston.com
Dovner now is trying to branch into the related field of vehicle armor. Using the same composite synthetic materials found in bulletproof vests, Dovner has developed lightweight safety plates that he says can be installed on the military vehicles known as Humvees. Most versions of the transport vehicles use body panels made from thin aluminum or fiberglass that keep down the vehicle's weight but leave occupants vulnerable to injury when under attack.

"I think we could make a contribution to helping out and saving lives in Iraq," Dovner said. First Choice Armor has received a small contract to retrofit vehicles used by a military contractor in Iraq, and Dovner is trying to enlist his congressman, US Representative Stephen F. Lynch, a Democrat from South Boston, in a quest for military orders. Lynch, accompanied by Brockton Mayor John T. Yunits Jr. and several reporters and photographers, toured First Choice Armor's plant on North Main Street last month.

Lynch watched as one of Dovner's technicians fired an armor-piercing bullet into one of the plates. The explosive device, fired from 50 feet away and traveling 3,000 feet per second, shredded the front of the plate but failed to penetrate the back.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I'm really happy with this new development. I think we've all heard of the multiple Humvee attacks that have crippled and killed soldiers in Iraq, and its about time that somebody did something about it. There still remains the problem of RPG's entering through the windows as well as AP rounds going through areas that will be left unprotected, but the armor if adopted will protect our soldiers from attacks in the most vulnerable areas.

[edit on 13-1-2005 by zhangmaster]

[edit on 13-1-2005 by zhangmaster]

zhangmaster

posted on Jan, 13 2005 @ 04:56 PM

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I missed the opportunity to mention this in the news article. Going over the causes of death for all the marines killed in Iraq, at least 44 of them have died in vehicle related incidents involving enemy fire, the main reason I chose to list this article which might at first glance seem insignificant. Granted this new plating for vehicles may not prevent all future vehicle-related deaths, but will hopefully reduce them dramatically in this and any future wars. At 44 deaths occuring over wide time span, I can't figure out why nothing was done sooner.

www.libertypost.org...

MBF

posted on Jan, 13 2005 @ 09:27 PM

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What really gets me is why the humvees were even sent over there with canvas doors to begin with. When I saw them I thought that the deaths would be a lot higher than they have been. If you send people into a situation where they will be shot at, you need to do everything you can to protect them. I'm glad to see that they are getting better armor now but it should have been on them before they were even sent over there.

Jehosephat

posted on Jan, 13 2005 @ 10:27 PM

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I think some of the Humvees are not sent with doors at all.

What really has happened is the SecDef as well as the Bush Administration honestly belived that Iraqis would welcome them with open arms and there would not be any insurgent activity. THerefore they never saw a need for armored vehicles in the first place... at least until a lowly soldier went out on a limb.

Tho I think something like a Metal glass that is currently in development hight be a better choice for armor, even body armor.

Murcielago

posted on Jan, 13 2005 @ 10:47 PM

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There a some Humvees over there with either the fabric doors or no doors, but those are in areas that are safe. The worst areas like baghdag, the majority look like this.

But, I do still think that they need more armor, and that goes for body armor as well. Most of the vests overthere are designed for shrapnel, and not to mention most of the video i've seen the vest are not desert camo, there green camo, making them stand-out quit good.

Armor should be on the top of there list.

Jehosephat (aka: fat joe)hehe
the Bush Administration honestly belived that Iraqis would welcome them with open arms

No.....They didn't send over M1-A2 Abram Tanks thinking that they would be driving on top of rose pedals all day while the Iraqs made sure to have plenty of roses on hand for our tanks and humvees to drive on.

zhangmaster

posted on Jan, 13 2005 @ 11:18 PM

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never heard anything aboit metal glass...do you know anything more about it?

Yeah, body armor needs improvement too. Couldn't believe it when I heard about families buying the boron carbide plates for $800 on ebay. That just shouldn't be happening, even if that does mean some cuts in other areas.

Murcielago

posted on Jan, 14 2005 @ 12:54 AM

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zhangmaster
Yeah, body armor needs improvement too. Couldn't believe it when I heard about families buying the boron carbide plates for $800 on ebay. That just shouldn't be happening, even if that does mean some cuts in other areas.

Yeah i agree, but at least the military says they will pay their families back.

But, armor should be on the top of their list but sadly its not even close.

Heres what the Army does: They have a lot of projects and R&D all going on at once and the war in Iraq isn't cheap, so lets just say hypotheticaly that they get 100 billion to spend in FY05, they will distribute the money to all of the projects that they want to continue funding and spend every nickle and be outta money, then they put in a request to congress for another billion to buy body armor for the troops and up-armor Humvees, and no congressman wants the blood of an american soldier on their hands and to have the public be attacking them later on in life for not giving our troops the armor that they needed, so of course they pass the Army's 1 billion dollar request for the armor. So the army gets all there new toys and development money for future ones, and at the same time gets the money for the armor. A win-win for the Army, but I personally do not like this, cancelling a project or so sounds fine to me if we can give everyone a vest and a safe vehicle to ride in, and all with-in their their original amount granted.

MBF

posted on Jan, 14 2005 @ 09:26 PM

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Originally posted by Murcielago

Yeah i agree, but at least the military says they will pay their families back.

The sad thing is that it don't help those that are dead from not having it to begin with.

Jehosephat

posted on Jan, 14 2005 @ 11:11 PM

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Metallic glass something rather new and only has been in Science Magazines and reasurch papers. It is an amorphous metal (one that does form crystals). metallic glasses can be quite strong yet highly elastic, and they can also be quite tough (resistant to fracture). Even more interesting are the thermal properties; for instance, just like an oxide glass, there is a temperature (called the "glass transition temperature") above which a metallic glass becomes quite soft and flows easily.

I easily see this as the next gernation of body army... as long as it can deal with penetration problems.