The American military may soon redefine “bulletproof.”
Iron Curtain, a futuristic new protective technology for vehicles, is being researched for possible deployment in Afghanistan. Like a force field in a science fiction movie, it neutralizes rocket-propelled grenades and missiles the instant before they strike.
The approach of an enemy projectile automatically turns Iron Curtain on, said Keith Brendley, president of Artis LLC, the Virginia-based company that developed the protection system.
Once the radar identifies an airborne threat, the Iron Curtain active protective system tracks it until it’s only a few inches away from the vehicle “and then disables it with countermeasures,” Brendley said.
Translation: The Iron Curtain blows them up.
That can happen in “many different ways,” he said, noting that the technical specifics are classified.
“It works darn near every time,” Brendley said.
The technology can be built into a vehicle as part of the manufacturing process or added subsequently.
Brendley wanted to develop a system that would have “zero collateral damage,” which is why Iron Curtain “waits so incredibly long” before firing, he said. “Soldiers can be at arm’s length and they wouldn’t be harmed.”
Though the Iron Curtain system could be delivered to the Department of Defense within 12 months, it may be longer than that before the system shows up in any combat zone, Brendley said.
“The technology works. It’s just a matter of getting through the safety and technical checks.”
Iron Curtain, a futuristic new protective technology for vehicles, is being researched for possible deployment in Afghanistan. Like a force field in a science fiction movie, it neutralizes rocket-propelled grenades and missiles the instant before they strike.
The approach of an enemy projectile automatically turns Iron Curtain on, said Keith Brendley, president of Artis LLC, the Virginia-based company that developed the protection system.
Once the radar identifies an airborne threat, the Iron Curtain active protective system tracks it until it’s only a few inches away from the vehicle “and then disables it with countermeasures,” Brendley said.
Translation: The Iron Curtain blows them up.
That can happen in “many different ways,” he said, noting that the technical specifics are classified.
“It works darn near every time,” Brendley said.
The technology can be built into a vehicle as part of the manufacturing process or added subsequently.
Brendley wanted to develop a system that would have “zero collateral damage,” which is why Iron Curtain “waits so incredibly long” before firing, he said. “Soldiers can be at arm’s length and they wouldn’t be harmed.”
Though the Iron Curtain system could be delivered to the Department of Defense within 12 months, it may be longer than that before the system shows up in any combat zone, Brendley said.
“The technology works. It’s just a matter of getting through the safety and technical checks.”
