Written by / Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Dorset, U.K.-based AmSafe has recently unveiled a new textile-based armor system offering lightweight protection against rocket-propelled grenades, in place of the current bar armor that is fitted to vehicles. According to the company, more than 20 sets of the Tarian armor system have been ordered and sent to Afghanistan with half of them fitted to heavy equipment transporters. Lightweight armor that provides ballistic protection to the crew at critical impact points enhances survivability, and the weight saving means more armor can be added if required. UID Solutions
Metalcraft, Mason City, Iowa, has developed a complete unique identification (UID) policy compliance solution for the Department of Defense and its suppliers. The manufacturer of durable, customized UID tag and label products has added data management and registration services to its UID offerings.
Metalcraft now registers and submits unique item identifiers (UIIs) and related pedigree data for end items, government property, legacy assets and virtual UIIs embedded items to UID Registry. The addition of this UID registration service means the company covers every aspect of UID policy compliance except physically attaching the product to the asset.
“Metalcraft delivers an accurate, efficient service that makes UID easy,” said Metalcraft president Steve Doerfler. “Metalcraft is a one-source solution for complete UID compliance.” Metalcraft’s UID compliance solution includes three core components. The first, for durable products, Metalcraft manufactures photo anodized foil labels and metal nameplates, subsurface printed polyester labels, laser engraved nameplates and ceramic-on-stainless-steel nameplates. For quality information Metalcraft ensures all UID information is verified and validated to ensure compliance with the latest UID and Mil STD 130 specs. Lastly, its registration/ submission services submits UIIs and related pedigree data to the UID Registry.
“Our durable products, expert data management and automatic registration services combine to save DoD suppliers time and money with their UID compliance,” said Doerfler. “Moreover, by taking care [of] UID compliance for our Defense customers, Metalcraft helps these companies produce additional business value through their investments in asset marking and tracking.”
Better Engine Performance
GE Aviation has successfully completed a customer trial of its ClearCore engine wash effluent collection system at London Heathrow Airport on a Virgin Atlantic CF6-80C2-powered 747-400 aircraft.
The system will be offered as either an effluent collection system designed to work with existing front-end wash equipment, or as a complete wash and collection system. In addition, wash optimization and performance recovery tracking can be provided utilizing engine data from GE Aviation’s Diagnostics. Customers will be able to choose between an equipmentonly option or a full-service solution offered through select authorized service partners.
The trial used a conventional shepherd’s hook front-end engine wash system. This method leads to EGTM (exhaust gas temperature margin) improvements of up to 15 degrees.
“Now part of GE’s OnPoint portfolio, ClearCore engine wash leverages GE’s unique expertise as the OEM for GE and CFM engines to help our customers reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, extend time-on-wing, and improve performance through an environmentally responsible process,” said Tom Gentile, vice president of GE Aviation Services.
Recapping the Fleet
Maersk Line Ltd. (MLL), an operator of U.S. flag oceangoing cargo vessels, has completed a recapitalization of its U.S. flag container fleet. The effort involved an investment of nearly $400 million for the purchase and reflagging of nine ships into the U.S. registry.
In keeping with its commitment to provide world-class U.S. flag transportation services, MLL’s recapitalization plan called for the company to remove nine older, smaller ships from its U.S. fleet and replace them with larger, faster and more modern U.S. flag tonnage. All nine of the reflagged ships are enrolled in the Maritime Security Program. “This additional capacity and capability, paired with the optimization and expansion of our U.S. flag network, will enable us to provide even more reliable, timely and flexible service to our government customers,” said Bill Kenwell, MLL’s chief commercial officer.
The ships joining the fleet feature an average capacity of more than 4,000 TEU and an average age of just 10 years, while the nine ships they replace had an average capacity of only 3,400 TEU and an average age of 23 years.
MLL’s Technical Organization and its Maritime Technical Services business unit, which develops and applies advanced operating, maintenance and life cycle strategies for maritime customers, are managing the sale and recycling of the nine older U.S. flag ships. “Moving a total of 18 vessels into and out of the U.S. fleet is a complex challenge,” said Bob Bowers, MLL’s senior director of maritime technical services, “but our close working relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard, the class societies and other regulatory agencies allows us to keep the project on schedule and minimize downtime for the ships.”
Recapping the Fleet Supporting Alternative Fuels/ Renewable Energy
The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) has a requirement to perform an organizational alignment (OA) study to determine options for DESC to implement an Alternative Fuels/ Renewable Energy (AF/RE) Office/focus in support of ongoing and newly emerging AF/RE mission requirements. In addition to the OA for the AF/RE Office, phase II will be performed to review and assess the current DESC organizational structure to determine the best alignment to meet current and future requirements.
The OA is expected to follow a phased approach. Phase I will provide a recommended office structure that supports meeting alternative fuels and renewable energy requirements for DESC in the short term. Phase II will address options pertaining to how DESC will align itself organizationally to support current and emerging energy-related mission requirements as well as determine the best organization fit for supporting DESC’s planned migration into the Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) Enterprise Business Solution (EBS), scheduled for FY12.
Nitrogen Generation
Military ground systems are increasingly expanding their need for nitrogen, which is used to remove moisture from equipment in order to enhance performance. The nitrogen purges sensors, night vision and other optics, and armaments. South-Tek Systems has developed and now manufactures the N2-Gen series of nitrogen generators, currently used by the Marines Corps in their optics maintenance shelters and HMMWV-mounted optic labs. Similarly, the Army has acquired the systems for thermal repair locations and small arms trailers.
The system allows the user to continuously produce nitrogen from air using this portable system. Locally produced nitrogen can dramatically reduce the logistics footprint required to order, transport, maintain and resupply the gas.
There are several versions of the system, the main difference being the nitrogen flow-out rate and the size and weight of the cabinet. In all versions the nitrogen purity is 98.5 percent.
Ammunition Trailers
DRS Technologies Inc. recently announced that it received a ninth delivery order valued at more than $22 million to produce more than 300 M989A1 heavy expanded mobility ammunition trailers (HEMATs) for the U.S. Army. The order was received from the U.S. Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. Work will be performed at DRS Sustainment Systems Inc.’s (DRS-SSI) heavy manufacturing facility in West Plains, Mo. The primary mission use of the HEMAT (11 ton payload capacity) is to transport multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) pods, conventional ammunition and other equipment on paved, secondary or cross-country roads.
“The DRS-built HEMAT system has proved its value time and again in the Southwest Asia theater as an extremely stable platform to transport MLRS pods, and as a versatile conveyance for fuel bladders and other vital cargo loads,” said Thomas G. Cornwell, vice president and general manager at DRS-SSI. ♦