HONORING INNOVATION
F
rom new grenade launchers to solar-powered portable power sys- tems, the U.S. Army’s research and development (R&D) community
has produced myriad top inventions for Soldiers. In some cases, Soldiers have invented solutions for the R&D commu- nity to develop. The Army acknowledged new, outstanding technologies invented in 2010 during its annual Army Greatest Inventions awards ceremony, held Oct. 10, 2011, as part of the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, DC.
Heidi Shyu, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology and Army Acquisition Executive, emphasized that all of these inventions coming out of the Army benefit Soldiers everywhere. “You are innovating and saving the lives of Sol- diers. That’s what is important. That’s why we’re all here,” she said. “Anything you do to innovate and help our Soldiers is incredibly appreciated by the folks who are deployed.”
Commending both the nominees and winners, Army Chief Scientist Dr. Scott Fish said, “They are all driven by a deep desire to make things better. They are not satisfied with the concept of utopia. They go beyond that. They make something real. They make it happen now.”
The winners were selected by a group of 10 Soldiers, both NCOs and field-grade officers. The Soldiers evaluated each nomination based on its importance and impact in the field.
The inventions made a strong impression on the judging panel. “It opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of people who dedicate many resources to improv- ing the Army by getting better or modified equipment in the hands of Soldiers so we
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can be more effective as a fighting force,” said SFC Stanley J. Smith, a panel judge and analyst at the Communications- Electronic Research, Development, and Engineering Center (CERDEC).
SFC Lafonte Bennett, another judge, had a similar reaction. “I knew that new tech was being sent to the field on a rapid basis, but I was not aware that we had this kind of influence on what was sent out and when,” said Bennett, who is assigned to the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
This was also the Army’s first observance of the Soldier Greatest Invention awards; two awards were added to the program to recognize Soldiers for their individual efforts in enhancing their fellow Soldiers’ equipment and performance.
ARMY GREATEST INVENTIONS The 10 top inventions follow, in alpha- betical order.
40mm Infrared Illuminant Cartridge, M992—Developed by the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC), this new cartridge, one of six inventions for which ARDEC received awards, produces infra- red light that is invisible to the naked eye but is clearly visible to Soldiers using cur- rently fielded night vision devices.
The cartridge enables Soldiers to more effectively engage the enemy at night. It is the first infrared illuminant system created for individual Soldier use, said Gregory Bubniak, Project Officer 40mm Ammuni- tion for Program Executive Office (PEO) Ammunition’s Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems.
While the military has used illuminating car- tridges and polytechnic flares for many years, the light was only provided in the visible
spectrum, and the enemy could see it as well. The M992 is designed for use with the M203 and M320 40mm grenade launch- ers, along with the legacy M79 40mm grenade launcher.
5.56mm M855A1 Enhanced Perfor- mance Round—First fielded to U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the summer of 2010, ARDEC’s 5.56 M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round is an improvement in three areas: soft-target consistency, hard- target penetration, and performance at an extended range.
The M855A1’s hardened-steel penetrator, which is in addition to a steel penetrator hidden in the tip of the jacket, is nearly twice as heavy, sharper, and exposed, allowing for better performance. The M855A1 also reflects the Army’s priority of improving “green” power and systems; its use of a copper slug instead of a lead slug makes the round more environmen- tally friendly.
In extensive testing and qualification of the M855A1, the Army fired more than 1 million rounds, making it the most thoroughly tested small caliber round to be fielded in U.S. history. Since June 2011, PEO Ammunition has fielded nearly 30 million M855A1 Enhanced Performance Rounds in Afghanistan. It is designed for use in the M4 weapon system and improves performance of the M16 and the M249 families of weapons. The M885A1 replaces the current M855 cartridge, which has been in use since the early 1980s.
Green Eyes – Escalation of Force Kit Integration with the CROWS System— Supporting PEO Soldier’s Project Manager Soldier Weapons, ARDEC’s “Green Eyes” kit is designed to temporarily disrupt a person’s vision, making driving a vehicle or aiming a weapon nearly impossible.
Army AL&T Magazine
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