ARMY AL&T
The harsh operational environments in Iraq and Afghanistan place great stress on TWVs. Added stress on vehicle components can cause electri- cal malfunctions and fuel leaks, which could lead to accidental vehicle fires. Furthermore, enemy forces are employ- ing combustible accelerants combined with IEDs, causing initial impact destruction, blast over-pressurization, and secondary fires.
Various FSS are currently installed on fuel tank, tire, engine, and crew com- partments of the Army and USMC TWV fleets. It is the responsibility of the services to ensure that the most survivable and supportable TWVs are fielded to warfighters. To do this, the Army and USMC conduct extensive market surveys and engineering studies to determine the most effective combi- nations of armor and fire protection for Soldiers and Marines, while maintaining the proper balance of mobility, oper- ability, and sustainability of the TWVs.
This comprehensive approach has identified that no single fire protec- tion technology is appropriate for all vehicle applications, meaning FSS are tailored to the unique configurations
It is the responsibility of the services to ensure that the most survivable and supportable TWVs are fielded to warfighters.
of each TWV within their space and weight constraints. Every TWV is equipped with one or more portable fire extinguishers.
Evolution of Requirements FSS requirements for other vehicles in the TWV fleet stemmed from a Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement (JUONS) in FY05. The JUONS did not initially include Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, but targeted the Army and USMC TWV fleet. The original FSS threshold requirement for the TWV fleet stated a need for hand-held, portable fire extin- guishers. The objective requirement was for internal (crew cab) automatic acti- vated FSS with manual (activated by a press of a button), external (engine, tire, and fuel tank areas) fire extinguishers. After the initial TWVs (light, medium, and heavy), MRAPs were retrofitted and fielded with the initial FSS require- ments. The Army received additional ONS from the theater of operations
for automatic FSS capabilities on all TWVs following.
The Army’s FSS requirements for up-armored TWVs came through various ONS received from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/ OIF ), which were subsequently vali- dated in August 2008. While these ONS identified the need for extinguish- ing fires on TWVs, they did not give specifics on what areas of the vehicles needed coverage or what type of system to use. The USMC’s FSS requirements for up-armored TWVs came through Urgent Universal Need Statements, which reiterated the Army’s FSS requirements, with one exception that related to crew compartment fires.
Off-Platform (Non-Vehicle) Solutions
FSS will ultimately reduce casualties, reduce vehicle losses, and better enable warfighters to complete their missions. (U.S. Army photo.)
The Army’s Product Manager Sets, Kits, Outfits, and Tools (PM SKOT) began developing and fielding enhanced off-platform firefighting capabilities in December 2007. These systems help Soldiers extin- guish external vehicle fires caused by adverse action or maintenance-related fail- ures. PM SKOT, under the leadership of the Army’s Project Manager Joint Combat Support Systems, Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), issued 17 Soldier-portable firefighting sets, two trailer-mounted firefight- ing systems, and two refill kits to Soldiers in theater. Army and USMC units in theater have procured addi- tional portable firefighting
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2010 29
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