When the Army wants the latest in bomb-stopping protection for its troops, it turns to... wood?
That's right, say our friends over at Ares and the Portland Press-Herald. "Although tree wood may not seem like the most impenetrable defense for soldiers in tents and under attack, when combined with fiberglass and plastic it creates a sturdy shield against exploding mortar fragments."
The 10th Mountain Division, stationed in Afghanistan, should be getting their wood-composite armor -- or "Modular Ballistic Protection System," if you prefer -- for their portable shelters any day, now.
Why wood? Well, the stuff is cheap, just $22 per square foot, according to the Army. It's light, at 70 pounds a panel. It's easy to install, able to be set up in 20 minutes. And it provides a protective cocoon that can withstand mortar fragments traveling 2,000 feet per second and bullets from small combat weapons." Besides, Army tents today are pretty much unprotected. So wood armor is better than none at all. Especially when it is "constructed like a giant sandwich, with 15 to 20 layers of fiberglass that encase a slab made from ground-up poplar or other wood such as southern yellow pine. The sandwich is then pressed like a panini, using 1,800 tons of heated pressure that fuses everything into a super-resistant, half-inch-thick panel."
Tasty!
