seruriermarshal
05-25-2004, 08:09 PM
Army to deploy peel-and-stick armor in Afghanistan
A Vancouver, Wash.-based company is supplying Humvee armor kits for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Army Humvees will be the first military vehicles outfitted with a peel-and-stick armoring system manufactured by Armor Systems International. ASI representatives are now at a U.S. military base, where they will load 15 Aztik 100 armor kits onto a cargo plane bound for troops in Kandahar early next week.
The Army's Rapid Equipping Force ordered the Aztik armor kits in December for use in Iraq but determined a greater need for these resources in Afghanistan.
"We're excited to demonstrate the effectiveness and uniqueness of our armored HMMWV kit solution to American soldiers in Afghanistan," said ASI President and CEO Terry Billedeaux. "This product is long overdue and will protect our troops from deadly" munitions. Over the next couple of weeks, the ASI team will train troops to install the armor, observe its performance in the combat environment and gather feedback from soldiers for future product enhancements.
The panels, made of a composite, can deflect high-caliber arms fire and fragmentation from roadside bombs as well as, or better than, conventional steel-plate armor, according to the company. ASI's armor, however, is much lighter than steel-plate, and addresses a critical concern. The suspension and transmission systems of military vehicles often are unable to withstand the weight of steel armor, ASI officials said in a written statement.
ASI's 19-piece Aztik 100 HMMWV [Humvee] armor kit includes door panels, floor protection, a rear-protection panel, seat cushions and bullet-resistant glass. Two soldiers can install the system in the field in less than two hours, enabling almost instant protection from deadly arms fire.
A Vancouver, Wash.-based company is supplying Humvee armor kits for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Army Humvees will be the first military vehicles outfitted with a peel-and-stick armoring system manufactured by Armor Systems International. ASI representatives are now at a U.S. military base, where they will load 15 Aztik 100 armor kits onto a cargo plane bound for troops in Kandahar early next week.
The Army's Rapid Equipping Force ordered the Aztik armor kits in December for use in Iraq but determined a greater need for these resources in Afghanistan.
"We're excited to demonstrate the effectiveness and uniqueness of our armored HMMWV kit solution to American soldiers in Afghanistan," said ASI President and CEO Terry Billedeaux. "This product is long overdue and will protect our troops from deadly" munitions. Over the next couple of weeks, the ASI team will train troops to install the armor, observe its performance in the combat environment and gather feedback from soldiers for future product enhancements.
The panels, made of a composite, can deflect high-caliber arms fire and fragmentation from roadside bombs as well as, or better than, conventional steel-plate armor, according to the company. ASI's armor, however, is much lighter than steel-plate, and addresses a critical concern. The suspension and transmission systems of military vehicles often are unable to withstand the weight of steel armor, ASI officials said in a written statement.
ASI's 19-piece Aztik 100 HMMWV [Humvee] armor kit includes door panels, floor protection, a rear-protection panel, seat cushions and bullet-resistant glass. Two soldiers can install the system in the field in less than two hours, enabling almost instant protection from deadly arms fire.