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Armor Survivability Kit

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The Armor Survivability Kit (ASK) is an armor kit developed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in 2003 to protect vehicles like the Humvee from small arms, explosive device fragments, and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).[1][2] It consisted of armored steel doors with bullet-proof glass, protective armored plating, and a ballistic windshield and came in either a two-door kit variant (weighing 900 pounds/409 kilograms) or a four-door kit variant (weighing 1,300 pounds/590 kilograms).[3][4] In October 2003, 40 prototype kits were sent to troops in Iraq.[2] By March 2004, 1,924 kits were shipped to Iraq and 1,636 kits were installed onto Humvee vehicles. During the same year, the Department of Defense rewarded ARL with an innovation award for the development of the ASK.[1] By January 2005, more than 9,400 kits were reportedly delivered to soldiers in both Iraq and Afghanistan.[5]

The ASK also served as a precursor to the development of the Fragmentary Armor or Frag Kits for armored vehicles in 2004.[6]

History

The ASK was first produced in response to the lack of sufficient armor protecting Humvee vehicles and supply trucks during the war in Iraq and the rising number of deaths caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), sniper fire, and RPGs.[7][8]

Near the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003, the U.S. forces found themselves increasingly vulnerable to guerrilla attacks from roadside bombs and RPGs when driving in their standard-issued Humvee due to the vehicles’ lack of adequate protection brought on by the use of fiberglass and canvas doors.[1][5] By February 2004, more than 80 soldiers were killed by roadside bombs since the start of the war.[9] Due to the delay in the production of armored Humvees caused by budget issues, U.S. troops had to rely on improvised vehicle armour and many soldiers resorted to jury-rigging scrap metal onto the doors of unprotected Humvees.

In response to the high demand of armored vehicles, Central Command’s Combined Joint Task Force 7 requested the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and ARL to develop a temporary armor kit to install onto unprotected Humvees until more armored vehicles could be shipped to Iraq.[1][2] Within a week, the engineering team led by Michael J. Zoltoski created the designs for the ASK, which integrated ballistic metals, glass, and ceramics as well as polymers in order to withstand  7.62mm machine gun fire and IEDs.[3] In October 2003, less than 6 weeks after the initial design was created, 40 ASK prototypes were produced and field-tested at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, after which they were ready to be shipped to Iraq along with two installers.[1]

Problems

While the introduction of ASKs onto unprotected Humvees did offer passengers more protection, other issues with the vehicle began to appear. Due to the hot summer temperature in Iraq, occupants began to develop heat-related illnesses due to the heat buildup inside the vehicle.[4] To resolve this problem, an air-conditioning system was installed inside many of the Humvees fitted with the ASKs. In addition, the additional weight brought on by the ASKs and other heavy armor plating increased the likelihood of the vehicle rolling over during serious accidents, which sometimes proved to be fatal. From March 2003 through November 2005, an analysis of the U.S. Army’s ground-accident database found that 60 of the 85 soldiers who died in Humvee accidents in Iraq were killed when the vehicle rolled.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Gibson, T'Jae (April 18, 2013). "Out on a limb" (PDF). APG News. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Russell, Robery (June 12, 2009). "Does the MRAP Meet the US Army's Needs as the Primary Method of Protecting Troops from the IED Threat?". Army Command and General Staff – via Defense Technical Information Center.
  3. ^ a b Pike, John. "Armor Survivability Kit (ASK)". Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  4. ^ a b Green, Michael (2005). Humvee at War. Zenith Press. pp. 57–61. ISBN 0760321515.
  5. ^ a b Yap, Chun (September 2012). "The Impact of Armor on the Design, Utilization and Survivability of Ground Vehicles: The History of Armor Development and Use". Naval Postgraduate School: 23 – via Defense Technical Information Center.
  6. ^ "Artifacts as "Snapshots in Time" - The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army". The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  7. ^ "Ad-Hoc Armor OK, but Check if it Meets Needs". www.defense-aerospace.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  8. ^ "Hard Work, Pride at Factory Making Humvee Armor". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  9. ^ "Troops add improvised armor to Humvees". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  10. ^ "Armor on Iraq Humvees Is Linked to Deadly Rollovers". Washington Post. 2006-06-12. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
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