Survivability

As threats have evolved throughout the years, protection measures have improved to defeat them. For years, passive armor has been the standard defeat mechanism for both kinetic energy threats (such as shrapnel) and chemical energy threats (such as rocket-propelled grenades). Today, significant work is being done on Active Protection Systems (APS) which will enable ground vehicle systems to track and defeat threats before they hit their target. As a consequence of the unfortunate reality that armed conflict is always a possibility, the Survivability session focuses on improved protection for both the soldier and vehicle.

As future conflicts expand to multi-domain operations (land, sea, air, space, cyberspace), all aspects of survivability must continue to be improved. Vehicle modernization requirements call for increased mobility, which means better light-weight armors need to be developed. APS will provide the ability to detect and mitigate threats without resorting to increased passive armor, but this requires next-generation sensors with improved range and sensitivity for detection and tracking. New materials and test methods will need to be developed to meet future Survivability needs. Furthermore, it is critical to maintain and improve occupant protection in order for soldiers to carry out their mission. Topics of interest for the Survivability technical session include, but are not limited to, the following: