Military Review English Edition July-August 2016 | Page 113

TAILORED SYSTEMS

equipment for a deploying
unit. In the Army After
Next, modular equipment
could be created specifically for the contingency
and be assembled during
transit. The chassis may
come from one location,
while the turret may be sent
from another, with the two
marrying up in the theater
of operations. The new piece
of armor then would be employed during the logistics
pulse or refit phase of the
operation.7
Maintenance and replacement parts. Regarding maintenance, one key is to develop
a well-tracked digital manufac(Photo by Sgt. J. Mapham, War Office official photographer, Imperial War Museum [H 37859])
turing database of replacement
Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) Type C mark II “Bobbin” carpetlayer tests
parts. With the advent of 3-D
laying tracks for armored vehicles to follow across soft beaches in preparation for the Norprinting and digital manumandy “D-Day” landings that would take place 6 June 1944. This vehicle was one of several
facturing, a new part may be
tailored solutions to ensure invading armor did not get mired in sand that were developed
procured as easily as scanning
under the personal direction of British Maj. Gen. Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart.
a bar code and pressing print.
The notion of forward manufacturing is not entirely
Training reduction. In order to offset training,
new to the Army. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive
imagine a future soldier gets into a vehicle and inserts
Research, Development and Engineering Center had
his or her common access card. First, the seat automatfielded a mobile-parts hospital in the past, the autoically adjusts. Next, a driving display populates with
motive equivalent to the mobile army surgical hospital
the soldier’s custom widgets, similar to a smartphone
unit.8 The Army’s Rapid Equipping Force began fielding display. The display also only lists available weapons
expeditionary lab mobile units in 2013, which include
on which the soldier has qualified. The displays might
3-D printers, computer-assisted milling machines, and
also help soldiers understand vehicle performance
laser, plasma, and water cutters, along with common
envelopes. For example, a line might be displayed over
tools like saws and welding gear.9 The industry is fast
the terrain showing how sharp a soldier might turn
approaching a point where even static structures such
without a rollover. All this functionality could follow
as buildings may be 3-D printed.10
a soldier, no matter what vehicle he or she climbs into,
Augmented reality for maintenance and renegating a large training requirement.
pair. Currently, to do their jobs, mechanics rely on
Early synthetic prototyping. The Army
experience with equipment, thick manuals, and rote
Capabilities Integration Center’s Early Synthetic
memorization of many of the maintenance procePrototyping (ESP) initiative offers a viable methdures. With new forward manufacturing capabilities,
odology to determine what combination of tactics
augmented reality goggles can provide mechanics with and materiel is optimal over various scenarios.12 ESP
systematic instructions on how to repair equipment
enables thousands of soldiers to tailor tactics, strategies,
and what tools to use while they perform mainteforce structures, and materiel to try to minimize cost
11
nance procedures.
while maximizing mission effectiveness. In this way,
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