Post-IED Hull Inspection Tool

US and Coalition ground forces depend on armored vehicles for protection from small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and especially from IEDs during their patrols. Rapid and reliable Battle Damage Assessment and Repair (BDAR) analysis in the field is critical because a vehicle may be attacked more than once on a given patrol. The Battle Damage Assessment Tool (BDAT) is a self-contained, compact and rugged device that measures armor deformation, penetration, cracking and work-hardening, then presents a graphical BDAR analysis to support a go/no-go decision, whether to return the vehicle for repair or continue the mission. BDAT reports optionally can be transmitted digitally to other locations such as vehicle maintenance facilities for further interpretation and support. BDAT does not require modification of the vehicle for its operation, and functions on all types of metal plate armor as well as composite armor and armor covered with nonconductive materials such as Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC). A BDAT unit accesses a vehicle-specific, position-indexed database, enabling the system to correctly distinguish battle damage from already-repaired damage or armor irregulatities such as weldments. The vehicle-specific database can be carried with the BDAT or with each vehicle.