The U.S. Army Armament, Research and Development Center (ARDEC) provides both lethality and gunner protection systems in support of the Army's operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. ARDEC is the design activity for the Army's standard gunner protection kit for HMMWV and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle platforms. This gunner protection kit, known as Objective Gunner Protection Kit (O-GPK) is designed and configured to provide U.S. soldiers enhanced protection against enemy rifle fire and improvised explosive device (IED) blasts and still allow full visibility. This Army-wide solution is made of steel. In order to meet the requirements of a more specialized application, the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) United States Special Operations Command (USSOC) requisitioned a titanium-based version of the O-GPK to support their operational needs. Titanium's high strength would provide the needed force protection, while its light weight would allow designers to meet these needs at a much reduced weight. This presentation will discuss the process of re-designing the O-GPK using titanium and the challenges faced. It will also discuss the advanced titanium processes and production equipment used to design, fabricate, and manufacture the titanium products.
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