Armor materials are remarkable: Able to stop multiple hits and save lives, they are essential to our military capability in the current conflicts. But as threats have increased, armor systems have become heavier, creating a huge burden for the warfighter and even for combat vehicles. This study of lightweight protection materials is the product of a committee created jointly by two boards of the National Research Council, the National Materials Advisory Board (NMAB)1 and the Board on Army Science and Technology (BAST), in response to a joint request from the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology and the Army Research Laboratory. The committee examined the fundamental nature of.
