Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times

It has worked on soldiers, Humvees, and trucks — now Army scientists want to perfect armor protection for something older than the Army itself: the tent.

Workers at Natick Soldier Center in Massachusetts recently partnered with the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center at the University of Maine to develop an armor panel system that can be integrated easily into standard soft-walled shelter frames, according to a recent press release.

The idea is to design something to protect soldiers against blast and fragmentation damage from mortar attacks and other indirect fire weapons.

Natick is currently working on a prototype to send into the combat zone.

The prototype — dubbed the Modular Ballistic Protection System — consists of an outer layer of E-glass, a ballistic armor material that surrounds a wooden core.

"The E-glass is what gives the panels their ballistic effectiveness. The wood core is what gives the panel additional flexural strength," said Natick engineer Ryan Devine in the release. He added that the panels are placed inside the shelter skin, preventing the tent from being easily identified as a “high-value target.”

The system requires no modification to a frame, no additional anchoring, and no special tools to install. The panels are attached to the inside of the current Force Provider tent using straps and buckles that four soldiers can install in 15 minutes, Devine said in the release.

While not as protective as concrete barriers, it is “lightweight, portable, and reusable, all while providing outstanding ballistic protection,” the release said.