DEFEAT OF COMBAT VEHICLES IS PRINCIPALLY SOUGHT THROUGH DIRECT-FIRE WEAPONS AND THE EFFECTS OF CONVENTIONAL MUNITIONS.

DEFEAT OF COMBAT VEHICLES IS PRINCIPALLY SOUGHT THROUGH DIRECT-FIRE WEAPONS AND THE EFFECTS OF CONVENTIONAL MUNITIONS. THE DESIRED EFFECT IS FIRST TO ACHIEVE A CATASTROPHIC KILL (K-KILL) OR, FAILING THAT, TO INFLICT A FIREPOWER OR MOBILITY KILL. ADVANCEMENT IN ARMOR PROTECTION HAS SHOWN, HOWEVER, THAT ANTIARMOR WEAPONS/MUNITIONS CAN BECOME MARGINALLY EFFECTIVE IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD. CHEMICAL AGENTS/ MUNITIONS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN EMPLOYED TO DEBILITATE THE VEHICLE CREW, OR TO LIMIT THEIR COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS BY CAUSING ADOPTION OF A BURDENING PROTECTIVE POSTURE. IN CONTRAST TO EITHER OF THESE APPROACHES, THE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I OF THIS STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE VULNERABILITY OF COMBAT VEHICLES TO ATTACK BY ANTIMATERIEL CHEMICAL AGENT. THE APPROACH INVOLVES (1) DEFINITION OF COMBAT VEHICLE KEY MISSION REQUIREMENTS AND IDENTIFICATION OF MATERIALS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE CAPABILITIES OF SYSTEMS AND SUBSYSTEMS INVOLVED IN THE ATTENDANT VEHICLE FUNCTIONS; (2) DEFINITION OF CHANGES IN PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE MATERIALLS (SUCH AS HARDNESS, SMOOTHNESS, OR ENERGY CONTENT) THAT WOULD DENY/LIMIT THE INTENDED PERFORMANCE OF THE ASSOCIATED VEHICLE FUNCTION.