In electronic mail to the workforce, TACOM-ARDEC Technical Director Michael Devine invites everyone to the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Armament Software Engineering Center and the Precision Armaments Laboratory April 23 at 10:15 a.m. in Bldg. 31.
Bldg. 31 concept - Armament Software Engineering Center
The Armament Software Engineering Center will consolidate several dispersed functions into a 79,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, integrated design, development and engineering facility for armaments and weapons digitization.
The $15.5 million project will significantly reduce infrastructure and program support costs while housing 235 government and contractor personnel.
The facility will consist of engineering laboratories and a high bay area capable of simultaneously supporting five vehicles – the Bradley, Abrams, Paladin, Mortar Fire Control System and the Towed Artillery Digitization System. It will allow government-contractor teams to develop, test, integrate and qualify weapon system software prior to field new software releases.
The Precision Armaments Laboratory will be used to investigate the effects of a variety of weather conditions on low power electromagnetic signals transmitted and received by various electronic sensors and communication devices.
The facility will be located on the crest of a hill south of the escape trail gate along Berkshire Trail. It will consist of a 215 foot tower, a laboratory building and three target areas – short range (near the foot of the tower); mid-range (adjacent to Bldg. 91) and long-range (near the ball field).
The tower is equipped with two laboratory elevators; one on the south face and the other on the east face. They will be used to mount sensors for measurements at different heights and to simulate the descent of a submunition equipped with a sensor.
It will also have seven platforms located at 40-foot intervals from which measurements may be made. An enclosed platform, whose roof may also be used for measurements, will top the tower.
The Laboratory Building will contain several laboratories, a high bay, offices and a conference room.
A variety of meteorological instruments used to measure various atmospheric parameters, will be located on the tower at each target area and at an intermediate instrumentation pad half way between the tower and the long-range tower area.
When fully equipped, the facility will be capable of being programmed to self-initiate and to take measurements, automatically, without the presence of human intervention.
