PRODUCTION PROCESSES FOR ASSEMBLING CERAMIC TILE ARRAYS

FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, EMPHASIS ON SURVIVABILITY ENHANCEMENT OF ARMY CREW SERVED WEAPONS SYSTEMS IS INCREASING. ONE ACCEPTED APPROACH TO ACHIEVING THIS ENHANCEMENT IS UP-ARMORING EXISTING SYSTEMS WITH CERAMIC APPLIQUE ARMOR. CURRENT R&D IS HIGHLY FOCUSED ON OPTIMIZING THE BALLISTIC PROPERTIES OF MATERIAL SYSTEMS. THE INHERENT COSTLINESS OF MATERIALS INVOLVED HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND IS NOW BEING ADDRESSED. COMPARATIVELY LITTLE THOUGHT HAS GONE INTO THE PROBLEM OF FIELDING APPLIQUE ARMOR ON A LARGE SCALE. IF THE LABOR INTENSIVE TECHNIQUES USED TO MAKE UP BALLISTIC TEST PANELS ARE USED FOR UP-ARMORING "THE FLEET," THE COST OF THE ARMOR ITSELF WILL BECOME A SMALL NUMBER COMPARED TO THE COST OF ATTACHING IT TO THE ASSETS INVOLVED. IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM, INNOVATIVE SYSTEM CONCEPTS MUST BE DEVELOPED WHICH GET APPLICATION COSTS DOWN INTO THE "FEW DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT RANGE." THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS A NUMBER OF INNOVATIVE, COST-EFFECTIVE CONCEPTS FOR ATTACHING APPLIQUE ARMOR WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ENHANCING MILITARY (MISSION) FLEXIBILITY AND LOGISTIC SUPPORTABILITY OF THE UP-ARMORED SYSTEM.