Advanced Lightweight Vehicle Components and Materials

The additional weight of add-on armor systems and extra equipment required by the fighting force, coupled with IED tactical warfare has negatively impacted the performance of tactical wheeled vehicles.In 2013, the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) 1.1 Program of Record was awarded by USSOCOM to resolve the capability gaps of the HMMWV-based GMV1.0, particularly as it pertains to CH/MH-47 Internal Air Transport.To maintain the current performance and reliability of the GMV1.1 as mission sets/equipment change, and to retain the vehicles modularity/standardization, a detailed parametric study to develop lightweight components using advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for near term implementation is required.The overall objective of this Phase II program is to reduce the VCW of the GMV1.1 while maintaining or enhancing the vehicle durability and performance.The advanced lightweight vehicle components and materials developed under this SBIR effort are expected to reduce the GMV1.1 VCW by at least 150 pounds (Threshold) or at least 300 pounds (Objective) and balance the trade-offs between performance, logistics, maintenance, reliability, cost, and return on investment.