%0 Book %A National Research Council %T Testing of Body Armor Materials: Phase III %@ 978-0-309-25599-8 %D 2012 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13390/testing-of-body-armor-materials-phase-iii %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13390/testing-of-body-armor-materials-phase-iii %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Engineering and Technology %P 362 %X In 2009, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the report Warfighter Support: Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding, which commented on the conduct of the test procedures governing acceptance of body armor vest-plate inserts worn by military service members. This GAO report, as well as other observations, led the Department of Defense Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, to request that the National Research Council (NRC) Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences conduct a three-phase study to investigate issues related to the testing of body armor materials for use by the U.S. Army and other military departments. Phase I and II resulted in two NRC letter reports: one in 2009 and one in 2010. This report is Phase III in the study. Testing of Body Armor Materials: Phase III provides a roadmap to reduce the variability of clay processes and shows how to migrate from clay to future solutions, as well as considers the use of statistics to permit a more scientific determination of sample sizes to be used in body armor testing. This report also develops ideas for revising or replacing the Prather study methodology, as well as reviews comments on methodologies and technical approaches to military helmet testing. Testing of Body Armor Materials: Phase III also considers the possibility of combining various national body armor testing standards. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Testing of Body Armor Materials for Use by the U.S. Army—Phase II: Letter Report %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12885/testing-of-body-armor-materials-for-use-by-the-us-army-phase-ii %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12885/testing-of-body-armor-materials-for-use-by-the-us-army-phase-ii %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 54 %X This report assesses the methodologies used for body armor testing. This Phase II report considers in greater detail [than in Phase I] the validity of using the column drop performance test described by the Army for assessing the part-to-part consistency of a clay body within the level of precision that is identified by the Army test procedures. More detailed evaluations of the array of issues surrounding body armor testing, both present and future, will be presented in the final Phase III report. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Phase I Report on Review of the Testing of Body Armor Materials for Use by the U.S. Army: Letter Report %D 2009 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12837/phase-i-report-on-review-of-the-testing-of-body-armor-materials-for-use-by-the-us-army %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12837/phase-i-report-on-review-of-the-testing-of-body-armor-materials-for-use-by-the-us-army %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 23 %X The National Research Council of the National Academies established a study to assess the methodologies used by the U.S. Army for the testing of body armor. This Phase I report is focused primarily on the validity of laser-profiling techniques for body armor test measurements. More comprehensive and detailed evaluations of an array of issues surrounding body armor testing will be presented in the forthcoming Phase II and Phase III reports. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology for Future Army Applications %@ 978-0-309-21285-4 %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13157/opportunities-in-protection-materials-science-and-technology-for-future-army-applications %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13157/opportunities-in-protection-materials-science-and-technology-for-future-army-applications %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 176 %X Armor plays a significant role in the protection of warriors. During the course of history, the introduction of new materials and improvements in the materials already used to construct armor has led to better protection and a reduction in the weight of the armor. But even with such advances in materials, the weight of the armor required to manage threats of ever-increasing destructive capability presents a huge challenge. Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology for Future Army Applications explores the current theoretical and experimental understanding of the key issues surrounding protection materials, identifies the major challenges and technical gaps for developing the future generation of lightweight protection materials, and recommends a path forward for their development. It examines multiscale shockwave energy transfer mechanisms and experimental approaches for their characterization over short timescales, as well as multiscale modeling techniques to predict mechanisms for dissipating energy. The report also considers exemplary threats and design philosophy for the three key applications of armor systems: (1) personnel protection, including body armor and helmets, (2) vehicle armor, and (3) transparent armor. Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology for Future Army Applications recommends that the Department of Defense (DoD) establish a defense initiative for protection materials by design (PMD), with associated funding lines for basic and applied research. The PMD initiative should include a combination of computational, experimental, and materials testing, characterization, and processing research conducted by government, industry, and academia. %0 Book %A Institute of Medicine %E Cohen, Howard J. %E Liverman, Catharyn T. %T Certifying Personal Protective Technologies: Improving Worker Safety %@ 978-0-309-15855-8 %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12962/certifying-personal-protective-technologies-improving-worker-safety %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12962/certifying-personal-protective-technologies-improving-worker-safety %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Industry and Labor %K Health and Medicine %P 166 %X When you purchase a product, you expect it to work. Construction workers on high-rise buildings need to be confident that their safety harnesses will arrest a fall. Firefighters need to know that their gloves and other protective equipment can withstand high temperatures. Healthcare workers administering highly toxic chemotherapy agents need to know that their gloves will withstand penetration. For personal protective technologies (PPT)—where the major purpose of the product is to protect the wearer against a hazard—a deficit in product effectiveness can mean injury, illness, or death. Examining the extent to which products meet specific performance or design criteria is the focus of conformity assessment efforts. For PPT conformity assessment, the ultimate goal is preventing worker illness, injury, or death from hazardous working conditions. Certifying Personal Protective Technologies focuses on conformity assessment for occupational PPT—ensuring that PPT are effective in preventing or reducing hazardous exposures or situations that workers face in their jobs. Because respirators already have an extensive testing and conformity assessment process in place, this book specifically addresses conformity assessment processes for other types of PPT, including eye and face protection, gloves, hearing protectors, and protective clothing. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Review of Department of Defense Test Protocols for Combat Helmets %@ 978-0-309-29866-7 %D 2014 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18621/review-of-department-of-defense-test-protocols-for-combat-helmets %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18621/review-of-department-of-defense-test-protocols-for-combat-helmets %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Engineering and Technology %P 158 %X Combat helmets have evolved considerably over the years from those used in World War I to today's Advanced Combat Helmet. One of the key advances was the development of aramid fibers in the 1960s, which led to today's Kevlar-based helmets. The Department of Defense is continuing to invest in research to improve helmet performance, through better design and materials as well as better manufacturing processes. Review of the Department of Defense Test Protocols for Combat Helmets considers the technical issues relating to test protocols for military combat helmets. At the request of the DOD Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, this report evaluates the adequacy of the Advanced Combat Helmet test protocol for both first article testing and lot acceptance testing, including its use of the metrics of probability of no penetration and the upper tolerance limit (used to evaluate backface deformation). The report evaluates appropriate use of statistical techniques in gathering data; adequacy of current helmet testing procedures; procedures for the conduct of additional analysis of penetration and backface deformation data; and scope of characterization testing relative to the benefit of the information obtained. %0 Book %A Institute of Medicine %T Gulf War and Health: Volume 9: Long-Term Effects of Blast Exposures %@ 978-0-309-26764-9 %D 2014 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18253/gulf-war-and-health-volume-9-long-term-effects-of %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18253/gulf-war-and-health-volume-9-long-term-effects-of %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %P 228 %X Since the United States began combat operations in Afghanistan in October 2001 and then in Iraq in March 2003, the numbers of US soldiers killed exceed 6,700 and of US soldiers wounded 50,500. Although all wars since World War I have involved the use of explosives by the enemy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq differ from previous wars in which the United States has been involved because of the enemy's use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The use of IEDs has led to an injury landscape different from that in prior US wars. The signature injury of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars is blast injury. Numerous US soldiers have returned home with devastating blast injuries and they continue to experience many challenges in readjusting to civilian life. Gulf War and Health, Volume 9 is an assessment of the relevant scientific information and draws conclusions regarding the strength of the evidence of an association between exposure to blast and health effects. The report also includes recommendations for research most likely to provide VA with knowledge that can be used to inform decisions on how to prevent blast injuries, how to diagnose them effectively, and how to manage, treat, and rehabilitate victims of battlefield traumas in the immediate aftermath of a blast and in the long term. %0 Book %A National Research Council %E Wellford, Charles F. %E Chemers, Betty M. %E Schuck, Julie A. %T Strengthening the National Institute of Justice %@ 978-0-309-15635-6 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12929/strengthening-the-national-institute-of-justice %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12929/strengthening-the-national-institute-of-justice %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Behavioral and Social Sciences %K Policy for Science and Technology %P 334 %X The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the nation's primary resource for advancing scientific research, development, and evaluation on crime and crime control and the administration of justice in the United States. Headed by a presidentially appointed director, it is one of the major units in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) of the U.S. Department of Justice. Under its authorizing legislation, NIJ awards grants and contracts to a variety of public and private organizations and individuals. At the request of NIJ, Strengthening the National Institute of Justice assesses the operations and quality of the full range of its programs. These include social science research, science and technology research and development, capacity building, and technology assistance. The book concludes that a federal research institute such as NIJ is vital to the nation's continuing efforts to control crime and administer justice. No other federal, state, local, or private organization can do what NIJ was created to do. Forty years ago, Congress envisioned a science agency dedicated to building knowledge to support crime prevention and control by developing a wide range of techniques for dealing with individual offenders, identifying injustices and biases in the administration of justice, and supporting more basic and operational research on crime and the criminal justice system and the involvement of the community in crime control efforts. As the embodiment of that vision, NIJ has accomplished a great deal. It has succeeded in developing a body of knowledge on such important topics as hot spots policing, violence against women, the role of firearms and drugs in crime, drug courts, and forensic DNA analysis. It has helped build the crime and justice research infrastructure. It has also widely disseminated the results of its research programs to help guide practice and policy. But its efforts have been severely hampered by a lack of independence, authority, and discretionary resources to carry out its mission. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Capturing the Full Power of Biomaterials for Military Medicine: Report of a Workshop %@ 978-0-309-09283-8 %D 2004 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11063/capturing-the-full-power-of-biomaterials-for-military-medicine-report %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11063/capturing-the-full-power-of-biomaterials-for-military-medicine-report %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Biology and Life Sciences %P 54 %X Recent results in biomaterials R&D suggest that there are exceptional opportunities for these emerging materials in military medicine. To facilitate this possibility, the National Research Council convened a workshop at the request of the Department of Defense to help create a technology development roadmap to enhance military R&D into biomaterials technology. The workshop focused primarily on identifying useful near- and mid-term applications of biomaterials including wound care, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and physiological sensors and diagnostics. This report presents a summary of the workshop. It provides a review of biomaterials and their importance to military medicine, the roadmap, and a discussion of ways to enable biomaterials development. Several important outcomes of successful capture of potential benefits of these materials are also discussed. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Polymers %D 1995 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9947/polymers %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9947/polymers %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 30 %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Materials Research to Meet 21st Century Defense Needs: Interim Report %D 2001 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10056/materials-research-to-meet-21st-century-defense-needs-interim-report %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10056/materials-research-to-meet-21st-century-defense-needs-interim-report %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 91 %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Technology for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, 2000-2035: Becoming a 21st-Century Force: Volume 4: Human Resources %@ 978-0-309-05899-5 %D 1997 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5865/technology-for-the-united-states-navy-and-marine-corps-2000-2035-becoming-a-21st-century-force %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5865/technology-for-the-united-states-navy-and-marine-corps-2000-2035-becoming-a-21st-century-force %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Industry and Labor %P 111 %0 Book %A National Research Council %T 2013-2014 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory: Interim Report %@ 978-0-309-29985-5 %D 2014 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18661/2013-2014-assessment-of-the-army-research-laboratory-interim-report %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18661/2013-2014-assessment-of-the-army-research-laboratory-interim-report %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 98 %X The National Research Council's Army Research Laboratory Technical Assessment Board provides biennial assessments of the scientific and technical quality of the research, development, and analysis programs at the Army Research Laboratory, focusing on ballistics sciences, human sciences, information sciences, materials sciences, and mechanical sciences. This interim report summarizes the findings of the Board for the first year of this biennial assessment. During the first year the Board examined the following elements: within ballistic sciences, terminal ballistics; within human sciences, translational neuroscience and soldier simulation and training technology; within information sciences, autonomous systems; and within materials sciences, energy materials and devices, photonic materials and devices, and biomaterials. The review of autonomous systems included examination of the mechanical sciences competency area for autonomous systems. A second, final report will subsume the findings of this interim report and add the findings from the second year of the review, during which the Board will examine additional elements. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2010 %@ 978-0-309-16161-9 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13009/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-manufacturing-engineering-laboratory %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13009/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-manufacturing-engineering-laboratory %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 40 %X The mission of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is to promote innovation and the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing through measurement science, measurement services, and critical technical contributions to standards. The MEL is organized in five divisions: Intelligent Systems, Manufacturing Metrology, Manufacturing Systems Integration, Precision Engineering, and Fabrication Technology. A panel of experts appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) assessed the first four divisions. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2008 %@ 978-0-309-12728-8 %D 2008 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12496/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-materials-science-and-engineering-laboratory %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12496/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-materials-science-and-engineering-laboratory %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 36 %X The Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory (MSEL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works with industry, standards bodies, universities, and other government laboratories to improve the nation's measurements and standards infrastructure for materials. A panel of experts appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) assessed the four divisions of MSEL, by visiting these divisions and reviewing their activities. This book concludes that, for the selected portion of the MSEL programs reviewed, the staff, the projects, and many facilities are outstanding. The projects are clearly focused on the mission of MSEL. The facilities and equipment are rationally upgraded within budget constraints, with several facilities being unique; the funding provided through the America COMPETES Act of 2007 is being used effectively. Division chiefs and staff evinced high morale, attributable to several factors: clear definitions of expectations and of the processes for realizing them, strong support of the MSEL from NIST leadership and of NIST generally from the President and from the Congress (through the American Competitiveness Initiative and the America COMPETES Act), and positive feedback from customers. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2011 %@ 978-0-309-22002-6 %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13250/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-information-technology-laboratory %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13250/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-information-technology-laboratory %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 42 %X Since 1959, the National Research Council (NRC), at the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has annually assembled panels of experts to assess the quality and effectiveness of the NIST measurements and standards laboratories. In 2011, the NRC evaluated three of the six NIST laboratories: the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) and the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Each of these was addressed individually by a separate panel of experts; this report assesses ITL. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T High-Performance Structural Fibers for Advanced Polymer Matrix Composites %@ 978-0-309-09614-0 %D 2005 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11268/high-performance-structural-fibers-for-advanced-polymer-matrix-composites %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11268/high-performance-structural-fibers-for-advanced-polymer-matrix-composites %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 70 %X Military use of advanced polymer matrix composites (PMC)—consisting of a resin matrix reinforced by high-performance carbon or organic fibers—while extensive, accounts for less that 10 percent of the domestic market. Nevertheless, advanced composites are expected to play an even greater role in future military systems, and DOD will continue to require access to reliable sources of affordable, high-performance fibers including commercial materials and manufacturing processes. As a result of these forecasts, DOD requested the NRC to assess the challenges and opportunities associated with advanced PMCs with emphasis on high-performance fibers. This report provides an assessment of fiber technology and industries, a discussion of R&D opportunities for DOD, and recommendations about accelerating technology transition, reducing costs, and improving understanding of design methodology and promising technologies. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Reducing the Logistics Burden for the Army After Next: Doing More with Less %@ 978-0-309-06378-4 %D 1999 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6402/reducing-the-logistics-burden-for-the-army-after-next-doing %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6402/reducing-the-logistics-burden-for-the-army-after-next-doing %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Engineering and Technology %P 224 %X This study assesses the potential of new technology to reduce logistics support requirements for future Army combat systems. It describes and recommends areas of research and technology development in which the Army should invest now to field systems that will reduce logistics burdens and provide desired capabilities for an "Army After Next (AAN) battle force" in 2025. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Making the Soldier Decisive on Future Battlefields %@ 978-0-309-28453-0 %D 2013 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18321/making-the-soldier-decisive-on-future-battlefields %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18321/making-the-soldier-decisive-on-future-battlefields %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Engineering and Technology %P 255 %X The U.S. military does not believe its soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines should be engaged in combat with adversaries on a "level playing field." Our combat individuals enter engagements to win. To that end, the United States has used its technical prowess and industrial capability to develop decisive weapons that overmatch those of potential enemies. In its current engagement—what has been identified as an "era of persistent conflict"— the nation's most important weapon is the dismounted soldier operating in small units. Today's soldier must be prepared to contend with both regular and irregular adversaries. Results in Iraq and Afghanistan show that, while the U.S. soldier is a formidable fighter, the contemporary suite of equipment and support does not afford the same high degree of overmatch capability exhibited by large weapons platforms—yet it is the soldier who ultimately will play the decisive role in restoring stability. Making the Soldier Decisive on Future Battlefields establishes the technical requirements for overmatch capability for dismounted soldiers operating individually or in small units. It prescribes technological and organizational capabilities needed to make the dismounted soldier a decisive weapon in a changing, uncertain, and complex future environment and provides the Army with 15 recommendations on how to focus its efforts to enable the soldier and tactical small unit (TSU) to achieve overmatch. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Materials Research to Meet 21st-Century Defense Needs %@ 978-0-309-08700-1 %D 2003 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10631/materials-research-to-meet-21st-century-defense-needs %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10631/materials-research-to-meet-21st-century-defense-needs %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %P 330 %X In order to achieve the revolutionary new defense capabilities offered by materials science and engineering, innovative management to reduce the risks associated with translating research results will be needed along with the R&D. While payoff is expected to be high from the promising areas of materials research, many of the benefits are likely to be evolutionary. Nevertheless, failure to invest in more speculative areas of research could lead to undesired technological surprises. Basic research in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science will provide the seeds for potentially revolutionary technologies later in the 21st century.