Air Force engineers at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, are working on a new transparent armor—made stronger and lighter than traditional armor—that may be able to stop armor-piercing weapons from penetrating windows. The Air Force Research Lab’s materials and manufacturing directorate, in conjunction with the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md., and the University of Dayton Research Institute, is testing an aluminum oxynitride as a replacement for the old multi-layered glass now used in both ground vehicles and aircraft. AFRL officials say the material has performed well against multiple hits from .30 caliber Russian M-44 sniper rifles and a .50 caliber Browning Sniper Rifle with armor piercing bullets. Testing against improvised explosive devices is in the works as well, according to 1st Lt. Joseph La Monica, the project’s sub-direction lead.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
