As our society becomes increasingly globalized, there is a growing need to establish and maintain semi-permanent structures in far-flung areas. Whether missions and enterprises are conducted on unfamiliar U.S. soil, or on the other side of the world, a host of threats (such as hostile forces or dangerous weather conditions) must be met. ERDC has developed an innovative and effective suite of technologies that either serve as a shelter themselves, or bolster and protect pre-existing buildings and their contents. With features like enhanced blast, ballistic, and forced-entry resistance, rapid assembly, and increased portability, these systems upgrade protection level significantly without forcing costly and impractical rebuilds.
Many of ERDC’s semi-permanent structures are already proving extremely successful. For example, the Hardened Alternative Trailer System (HATS), which uses ISO shipping containers as building blocks, is being deployed to great effect in over 200 locations in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition, ERDC’s Modular Guard Tower System (MGTS), has been deployed in locations such as Beirut, where it strengthens protection for U.S. missions significantly. In terms of the general market outlook, these technologies occupy a favorable position at the nexus of several burgeoning sectors. For instance, the global ballistic protection market is expected to hit USD 17.2 billion by 2026. Furthermore, experts anticipate that the global bulletproof glass market, valued at $7.9 billion in 2021, will reach $12.7 billion by 2026. ERDC’s Blast, Ballistic, and Forced-Entry-Resistant Operable Windows and Doors is one example of a technology capable of revolutionizing this sector.
