How racing technology can help soldiers in battle
When a car bomb or landmine explodes under a military vehicle, the blast unleashes huge amounts of energy. This can cause the vehicle’s occupants to suffer acceleration of 50G and is often what causes the fatalities. Thanks to our expertise with safety materials and extreme G-forces, McLaren Applied Technologies were approached to find ways to reduce these G-forces and save soldiers’ lives.
Using racing knowledge to save lives
After extensive testing in simulated blast conditions, we developed the Blast Mitigation Seat. Using an aluminium honeycomb under-seat energy absorber, the forces transmitted from the bomb or mine are absorbed and contained. This rigid (yet ergonomic) carbon composite seat not only keeps the soldier secure during the explosion, but the material is also highly resistant to fragmentation, another cause of fatality in a blast situation.
Finally, steel mounting brackets collapse out of the way, absorbing yet more energy. The Blast Mitigation Seat can reduce the G force in a blast situation from 50G to a far more survivable 20G, a welcome, if unusual, result of McLaren’s unrivalled expertise with carbon composite materials.