Home / News / UMaine bags $3.2 million for R&D to protect the military

UMaine bags $3.2 million for R&D to protect the military

08 Aug '20

3 min read

Pic: University of Maine

The US Senator, Susan Collins, has announced that the University of Maine (UMaine) Advanced Structures and Composites Centre (ASCC) has been awarded a total of $3,215,332 from the US Army Natick Soldiers Systems Centre (SSC). The funding will support UMaine ASCC’s continued research to better protect the men and women of our nation’s military.

The funding will also be used in the development of the Modular Ballistic Protection Systems (MBPS) to protect the lives of personnel in Army tents. UMaine will also work to develop inflatable arches that allow troops to quickly set up shelter.

With the new contract, the ASCC plans to hire additional full-time research personnel as well as graduate and undergraduate students over the next five years. The researchers will be working on the 3D printing of shelters, as well as developing new shelter materials that increase protection and reduce detection, weight, production times, and overall costs. UMaine will also be renovating laboratory space to house up to 30 additional personnel at the ASCC, which is expected to be completed this year, according to a press release by UMaine.

“The ASCC is pleased to continue to support our troops and protect lives over the next 5 years through this new and significant contract, and is deeply appreciative of Senator Collins’ and our delegation’s support. Senator Collins has been instrumental in creating this program and has diligently supported R&D at UMaine, particularly projects that protect our war-fighters’ lives and help spinoff new private companies and Maine jobs. The ASCC’s work with the Natick Soldier SSC has resulted in two Maine spinoff companies, Compotech and Advanced Infrastructure Technologies (AIT), both located in Brewer. Compotech has been manufacturing ballistic panels and shelters developed at the ASCC. AIT has been manufacturing composite bridges that have been developed and patented by the ASCC. The ASCC has also been hiring new research engineers and technicians, including 15 new personnel and 60 students this year,” Habib J. Dagher, executive director of the ASCC said.

The ASCC supports Maine industry with product development, and aims to create opportunities for UMaine students to explore interests in engineering, science, renewable energy, forest resources or wood science, economics, entrepreneurship, international trade and commerce, and business. The research programme offers opportunities for K-12 students, employs more than 150 graduate and undergraduates students per year from a wide variety of majors, and has financially sponsored nearly 2,600 UMaine student interns since its opening in 2000.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)