If I ever had a chance to “do it all over again”...I think I’d get into material sciences.
Some of this stuff is way cool.
The Democrats will start whining about the fact our troops in Iraq don’t have this armor by this afternoon.
But how do you cut it?
If it’s stronger and lighter than the IBA, I’m all for it, but if it’s heavier, that’s really going to open up a debate of “Life Saving Ability” vs “How fast can I move, how much can I carry?” that I’d rather just avoid.
If at times it seems that certain classes of materials promise to "do everything", it is only because the number of novel variables one can control is so large.
The really cool part about it is that it should also conduct electricity fairly well. Cop tries to taze you, taze him back...
Where are they going to find the super tiny nedles and super tiny cheap 3rd world labor to do all this weaving and garment making?
With the Army Acquisition system as it it, they’ll introduce it in about 2025.
I think that moving in this direction is moving backwards... There are other options such as liquid-to-solid materials that absorb and disapate the kinetic energy of rounds impacting the material. It also means that the liquids can be heated and cooled in order to offset evironmental conditions of various theaters. the liquid-to-solid is already a reality too. Look at this article.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_32/b3996068.htm
I hope it’s not too cheap.
I know, that sounds funny, but when it comes to stuff that protects troops from harm, it needs to be expensive enough that our country is the only one who can afford it.
I’d hate to think of something so cheap and easy to get that the terrorists can walk down our streets shooting people without fear of being stopped by gunfire.
That incident in California was scary enough.
Ummm... maybe those of us who DON'T work for the government might like this sort of protection too?
