Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2022 - 38

Application Briefs
Airfield Matting System
ERDC
Vicksburg, MS
314 524-9922
www.erdc.usace.army.mil
S
ince the 1940s, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and
Development Center (ERDC) has evaluated expeditionary
airfield matting systems that allow military units to
quickly build runways, hangar floors, and parking pads
for aircraft in areas where conditions or time do not allow
for traditional concrete or asphalt pavement structures.
Today, the ERDC is leading a new developmental effort to
design a lightweight airfield matting system that can be
used to support aircraft for many missions where the AM2
is overdesigned and difficult to deploy.
Air support is critical to most U.S. missions around the
globe, whether they are military or humanitarian in nature.
However, many parts of the world have conditions that are
unsuitable, or the mission is too time sensitive to allow for the
construction of a traditional airfield.
The first use of expeditionary airfield matting construction
can be traced back to the U.S. Army Air Corps - now the U.S.
Air Force - in the early 1940s in support of operations during
World War II. In the 1960s, the U.S. Marine Corps ramped up
its use of matting systems and remains the current primary
user. The Army, Navy and Air Force also continue to routinely
employ expeditionary airfield matting systems.
The AM2 matting system developed by the U.S. Navy in the
late 1960s consists of individual panels that weigh close to
150 pounds and are 12 feet in length. The panel dimensions
make transportation difficult and assembly time-consuming
and cumbersome.
" We are testing a new prototype airfield matting system
designed to be more logistically friendly, " said Dr. Tim Rushing,
senior research engineer in ERDC's Engineering Systems
and Materials Division Research Group of the Geotechnical
and Structures Laboratory. " The new system is designed to be
Hybrid Thermal and Red Dot Sight
Meprolight (1990) Ltd.
Or-Akiva, Israel
+972 4 6244111
www.meprolight.com
M
38
eprolight (1990) Ltd., a member of the SK Group (founded
by Mr. Samy Katsav), specializes in manufacturing
electro-optical systems, thermal and night vision equipment,
as well as self-illuminated sights for military, law enforcement
and civilian applications. The company has recently completed
development of the advanced MIL-STD Mepro TIGON
sight. The system integrates the advantages of uncooled thermal
imaging technology with those of see-through day optics
( " red-dot " sights) in a single product, enabling complete operational
flexibility, day and night.
Users in the defense, law enforcement, and HLS sectors can
all benefit from the advanced features of the TIGON in one
cost-effective solution. The integrated technology enables
operational flexibility for mission success in open terrain,
CQB scenarios, densely vegetated areas - such as jungles - and
more. Being compact and lightweight, it reduces weapon-load,
improves weapon balance, and simplifies operations compared
with similar non-integrated solutions.
For day use, the Mepro TIGON's large transparent display
window and clearly visible reticle enable rapid target acquisition,
with both eyes open. At night, the thermal image
www.aerodefensetech.com
Aerospace & Defense Technology, February 2022
ADT Application Briefs 0222_1.indd 38
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more friendly to air and sea transport and be much lighter
than the current matting system. "
The new system will be easier to transport and assemble.
The prototype, which began testing earlier this month, features
panels that are shorter, lighter, and thinner with the new
panels measuring only about seven feet in length, weighing
about 48 pounds compared to the previous 150 pounds and
measuring only 1 inch thick compared to the previous 1½
inch thick.
" We are trying to solve a logistics problem, " said Marine
Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5 Chad McCammon, Military
Deputy Integrated Product Team lead. " Some of the places
we're going to fight the next battle are going to be harder to
get to from a logistics standpoint with surface connectors. "
The research program is a partnership between ERDC and
the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of
Alabama. The school, in turn, is partnering with Alfab, Inc.,
of Enterprise, Alabama, to manufacture the panels. Alfab has
been manufacturing the current AM2 matting system since
the 1970s.
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1/25/22 2:45 PM
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