VICKSBURG, Miss. – Recently, members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi participated in an Airfield Matting Resurfacing experiment at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). AM2 matting is an aluminum matting system developed in the 1960s to provide temporary aircraft landing surfaces in austere locations around the world. AM2 provides a critical force projection capability that enables the U.S. to project combat power where it’s needed the most.
Currently, the non-skid friction coatings on AM2 surfaces must be replaced every five to ten years because of deterioration caused by ultraviolet light, environmental exposure, and aircraft traffic. The recoating process requires the removal of each 150-pound panel by hand and then shipping the affected panels to a commercial manufacturer for removal and replacement of the coating before returning the mats to service. The cyclic process requires months to complete, making it time consuming and costly.
However, the U.S. Air Force sponsored the development of a new prototype airfield matting resurfacing kit to enable military members to quickly remove deteriorated coatings from AM2 matting and recoat in the field without removing the installed panels.
The new prototype resurfacing kit uses a high-pressure water system to remove the old coating and capture the effluent using a vacuum system so it can later be de-watered and properly disposed to alleviate any environmental concerns. Once the old coating is removed, a water-based coating being developed by researchers from the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi can be applied by hand with minimal personnel. This new coating is being formulated to allow aircraft traffic after 24 hours of curing with a life expectancy of up to 25 years. While the coating is still under development, the research team believes they are close to having a product that meets the military’s expectations.
The new prototype airfield matting resurfacing kit reduces both the manpower and time required for airfield maintenance, which reduces operational costs, as well as the down time for the airfield. Current estimates show a 50% reduction in cost compared to the process that is used today.
As with any new technology, obtaining user feedback of prototype solutions is a critical step in the development process. To collect feedback from the user’s perspective, members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing were trained to use the surface removal equipment and to apply the new non-skid coating. During the training at ERDC, the Marines gained hands-on experience and provided feedback to the research team regarding possible changes that could be implemented and what improvements could be made from a military standpoint.
“The results of the training went very well,” said Brett Cobb, a Research Civil Engineer with ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL). “We received positive feedback from the user’s perspective. The process has a few learning curves but should be easily translated into written instruction.”
Now that the initial experiment is complete, the Marines who participated will provide more feedback to the research team in preparation for the next event.
“We will go to Bogue Field in South Carolina to conduct a larger-scale test section with the Marines,” said Cobb. “The Marines who participated in this first experiment will assist in instruction.”
A final demonstration of the kit will be led by Air Force personnel, but not without continued strong interest by the Marine Corps.
“The airfield matting user group across the Department of Defense works closely together as new tools and methods are being developed. It’s great to see the Marines’ participation and assistance in this Air Force sponsored AM2 project,” said Dr. Tim Rushing, a Senior Researcher with ERDC’s GSL.