Low-Cost Manufacturing of Lightweight, Flexible Ballistic Protective Fabric for Arc Shaped Shelters

KaZaK Composites will work with Federal Fabrics-Fibers to develop alternative material and configuration approaches for lightweight, flexible, cost-effective ballistic armor to protect airbeam shelters. In parallel, we will demonstrate innovative means of integrating flexible armor with the shelter, and evaluate a new technology that can be used as a field modification to significantly upgrade load carrying capacity of air beams in existing shelters. This alternative approach involving structural as well as material innovation would allow slightly heavier, much lower cost armor solutions. Phase I will include design and testing of ballistic samples made with fiber materials spanning a wide range of cost and weight, and demonstrate an innovative means of reducing the amount and weight of high cost fabric required to provide the desired ballistic protection in a flexible system. Finally we will perform experiments demonstrating simple airbeam structural upgrades. The wide range of design and experimental information developed in Phase I will be compiled in a trade study, and used as a basis to recommend an approach to proceed with into Phase II. During Phase II KaZaK team will finalize system designs based on Phase I experience and military comment, then proceed to fabricate and test full scale prototypes.