Alcoa awarded $50 million U.S. Army deal
Staff
General Defense Alcoa lightweightingThe five-year contract from TARDEC is for combat vehicle research and development.
Alcoa has been awarded a five-year contract from the U.S. Army. The $50 million R&D deal will have the lightweight metals leader focusing on developing innovative, lightweighting solutions for ground combat vehicles.
In an agreement with The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Alcoa will work to advance its aluminum weld wire alloys. These alloys have already proved to provide increased the strength of welded joints and reduced corrosion of those welded joints on combat vehicles.
“Alcoa’s lightweight solutions have improved troop protection while reducing vehicle weight and assembly time,” says Eric Roegner, President of Alcoa Defense. “We look forward to building on our successful track record to help develop the next generation combat vehicle.”
In addition to developing alloys, the company will provide material research, development, engineering, testing, and evaluation efforts related to ground vehicle lightweighting. Additional technologies associated with lightweighting such as aluminum forming technology, fastening and joining, modeling and simulation, armor development, material development, material fabrication, energy conservation, and coating and corrosion technology, will also be explored.
This deal builds on a joint initiative to develop world’s largest single-piece forged aluminum hull for combat vehicles to improve troop protection. It also follows the successful 2005-2013 Alcoa-Army Lightweight Structures Initiative where the lightweight metals leader developed aluminum solutions for ground combat and tactical vehicles.
