OUR NATION’S LONGEST WAR

ERDC’s early history was marked by the growing pains of merging far-flung laboratories and establishing a new identity. Those internal challenges were overshadowed when the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks united the fledgling organization under a common purpose.

ERDC would play a critical role in the ensuing response, including robust antiterrorism efforts and military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The organization’s portfolio dramatically increased, and the “One ERDC – One Team” culture was forged.

The attacks on Sept. 11 proved the value of past antiterrorism research at ERDC and its predecessors. Hardening technology and techniques developed and tested at ERDC had been installed in portions of the Pentagon and saved many lives after the airplane struck the structure.

ERDC’s life-saving impact would grow during the subsequent years as its engineers and scientists worked together around the clock to provide force protection and projection solutions.

Initiated in 2004, the Buckeye Geospatial Collection System harnessed high-resolution imaging from helicoptermounted digital cameras for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Enabled by powerful change detection software, ERDC assessed routes in Afghanistan and Iraq, aiding improvised explosive device identification. In 2005, ERDC introduced an enhanced Buckeye variant, integrating lidar for 3D elevation portrayal. Deployed during the Global War on Terror, Buckeye facilitated groundlevel unclassified imagery vital for Soldiers combating threats.

The C-17 Semi-Prepared Runway Operations initiative, conducted between 2004-2008, aimed to enable C-17 aircraft operation on remote, semi-prepared airfields. The research determined runway condition ratings, friction factors, shear strength and validated roughness models. ERDC recommendations led to a 22 percent fuel capacity increase on semi-prepared airfields, enhancing remote aircraft usage. Similarly, the Critical Runway Assessment and Repair program addressed damage caused by small weapon fragments. Successful technology demonstrations and tests paved the way for efficient runway repairs.

ERDC developed the Modular Protective System (MPS) to provide maximum safety to Warfighters during rapid deployment. This lightweight, soilfree system incorporated a collapsible frame supporting concrete and composite armor and was proven to be effective against varied munitions. MPS, which could be rapidly assembled by a twoperson team, played a pivotal role in post2007 surge tactics in Iraq and Afghanistan. The system garnered patents, was integrated across services and earned a technology transfer award in 2010.

One new threat Warfighters faced during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq were improvised explosive devices, which were destroying vehicles and inflicting severe injuries on those inside. In response, ERDC collaborated to develop modeling tools to predict air blast and soil debris loads for improved vehicle designs Field experiments validated the software’s ability to accurately model blast impacts on vehicle underbodies, leading to enhanced vehicle protections.

Following the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, the Defense Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office funded ERDC to pioneer blast-resistant technologies for conventional and masonry structures. Landmark experiments culminated in retrofit solutions for the Pentagon before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ERDC later developed blastresistant retrofits for embassy perimeter barriers and buildings, focusing on blast, forced entry and ballistic protection. These retrofit technologies continued to improve and have been applied globally.

The Jan. 8, 2020 attacks on the Al Asad Air Base in Iraq resulted in more than 100 service members and civilian contractors being diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In response, ERDC engineers and scientists, in coordination with the USACE Transatlantic Division and USACE Protective Design Center, developed, tested and validated enclosure door designs that decrease the exposure to personnel in the bunker and reduce their TBI vulnerability. The design was quickly adopted at nearly 1,000 bunkers across multiple countries. The research team was awarded the 2022 USACE Innovation of the Year award.

In FY20, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology called for CounterImprovised Explosive Device (CIED) research, development, testing and evaluation. In FY21, ERDC received funding to research standoff anti-maneuver IED detection. The research included environmental effect studies to support sensors and algorithm development efforts and two tasks supporting a joint sensor testbed, a high performance computing capability and 3D data generation and localization.