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U.S.ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES

DEVELOPMENT COMMAND 

SOLDIER CENTER

U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES 

DEVELOPMENT COMMAND 

SOLDIER CENTER

Army Research and Development Programs

Soldier Protection Directorate, Protection Equipment Division 

Mr. Kenneth F. Ryan

18 Nov 2021

DISTRIBUTION A: APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE 

PR2021_98472

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AGENDA

• Up Front Key Takeaways

• Who Are We?

• What Do We Do?

• Current Research Program Priorities/Key Platforms

• How To Work With Us

• What's the Benefit
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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM SC) is the 

Army focal point for (6.2-6.3):

– Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE)

– Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Opportunities for development of actionable knowledge products, test 

methodologies, novel materials, components and systems

– Technology or product may be transitioned to PEO Soldier for continued development or 

adoption

• https://ccdcsoldiercenter.army.mil/#/workwithus is the best website to go to for points 

of contact and information on how to work with DEVCOM SC

• Program Managers and the Program & Strategic Integrators are the best people to 

talk with about program opportunities and future technical gaps

Dr. David Colanto

Program Manager, Integrated 

MultiThreat Headborne System (IMHS) 

Soldier Protection Directorate 

508.206.3790

David.s.Colanto.civ@army.mil

Dr. Shaun Filocamo 

Program Manager, Combat 

Protective Ensemble (CAPE) 

Soldier Protection

Directorate

508.206.3939

shaun.f.filocamo.civ@army.mil

Mr. Kristian Donahue 

Program Manager, CCSM 

Soldier Protection Directorate 

508.206.3638

Kristian.l.donahue.civ@army.mil

Mr. Clinton McAdams 

Strategic Integrator, Soldier 

Protection Directorate 

508.206.3643

Clinton.B.McAdams.civ@army.mi 

l

Mr. John Kirejczyk 

Program Integrator, Soldier 

Protection Directorate 

508.206.3175

John.A.Kirejczyk.civ@army.m 

il
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DEVCOM SOLDIER CENTER

Information current as of 

09/01/2021

VISION

The DEVCOM Soldier Center is the Soldier’s 

research center – Ensuring dominance through 

superior scientific and engineering expertise.

MISSION

To provide the Army with innovative science and 

technology solutions to optimize the performance 

of our Soldiers.

Natick Soldier Systems Center

Natick, MA

MILITARY EMPLOYEES

37

(+/-)

GOVT. CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES

715

CONTRACTORS

153

TOTAL EMPLOYEES

905

822 Natick, 83 

Central Florida Orlando

Research Park 

Orlando, FL

DEVCOM SOLDIER CENTER

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• Parachutist Safety and Military Freefall

• Parachute Design and Aircraft 

Integration

• Airdrop Sensor Integration

• Precision Airdrop

• Airdrop Modeling, Simulation and Data 

Analytics

• Aerial Delivery Materials Research

• Reduction of Combat Load and Class 

1 Logistics

• Nutritional Interventions for Warfighter 

Performance

• CBRN Protection of Food and Water

• Mechanical & Chemical Engineering 

for Field Feeding Systems

• Mixed and Augmented Reality

• Synthetic and Natural Environments

• Live Training

• Medical Technology

• Artificial Intelligence

• Adaptive Training

• Distributed Simulation

• Training Effectiveness

• Cyber Training Simulations

• Monitoring & Predicting Performance

• Optimizing/

Enhancing Performance

• Human Augmentation

Soldier Effectiveness Directorate

SOLDIER CENTRIC DESIGN

Soldier Sustainment Directorate Soldier Protection Directorate

• Composite Materials

• Command & Control Technologies

• Multifunctional Materials

• Camouflage, Concealment & Signature 

Management

• Ballistic Protection

• Textile Technology and Materials 

Evaluation

• Collective/

Percutaneous Protective Materials

• Individual Equipment Design

• Ballistic Protection

• Sensory Protection

• Individual Hydration

AAIRDUCT OV-1

Autonomous Aerial 

Resupply into Dense, 

Urban, Complex

Terrain

CCAR

Close Combat 

Assault Ration

CAPE & IMHS

Combat Protective Ensemble 

& Integrated Multi-threat 

Headborne System

CCSM

Camouflage, 

Concealment & 

Signature Management

MASTR-E

Measuring and 

Advancing Soldier

Tactical Readiness and 

Effectiveness

OWT

One World Terrain

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INTEGRATED MULTI-THREAT HEADBORNE SYSTEM (IMHS)

Problem: Combat headborne equipment is not integrated with the 

helmet from a systems engineering perspective, resulting in system that is 

heavy and unbalanced on the head, burdening the Soldier with neck strain 

that degrades Soldier Lethality. Also, headborne ballistic protection is not 

sufficient for increased threat levels.

Purpose: Develop a headborne technology architecture enabling 

integration paths for current and future advancements focused on 

increasing Soldier protection, lethality and situational awareness in the 

Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) battlefield

Results/Products:

• Headborne open architecture Interface Control Document (ICD)

• Government Owned electrical / mechanical interfaces

• Power/data specifications

• System center-of-gravity & moment of inertia specifications

• Technical data packages (TDPs) for ICD-compliant prototypes

demonstrated via Soldier touchpoints

• Helmet shell with increased threat level protection

• Eyewear with increased fragmentation protection, active anti-fog 

& variable transmission lens

• Integrated hearing protection & wireless communication

Payoff:

• Increased Soldier protection

• Enhanced lethality and situational awareness:

• Enable active technology integration

• Optimized power/data management: reduced number of 

batteries, easier to use, reduced cable snag hazards

• Improved system balance, reduced neck torque & weight

• Reduced procurement costs due to greater competition enabled by 

compatibility across multiple industry partners

Soldier Touchpoints

Optimize headborne technology integration for increased 

Soldier protection, lethality & situational awareness

Enhanced eye protection capability 3 6

5

5

Headborne technology architecture 4 5

Critical Technologies FY22 FY23 FY24 FY2

5

FY26

Increased threat protection helmet 4 6

Integrated hearing protection &

wireless communication

3 6

6

IMHS 1.0 IMHS 2.0

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Purpose:

• Dichotomy of component level ensemble capability enhancements:

• Ensemble enhancements can improve lethality and survivability

• Ensemble compatibility challenges can have a detrimental impact on the ability of a 

Soldierto perform their mission

• CAPE objectives:

• Develop new Soldier ensemble components and systems that integrate load carriage, 

hydration, power and data distribution, and environmental protection enhancements, 

considering size and weight of the system

• Integrate mature signature management and blast/ballistics protection technologies

• Establish an integration standard operating procedure (SOP) that evaluates the level of 

platform integration throughSoldier touchpoints (STPs) in relevant environments

Results/Products:

• Reports, technical data packages, and prototypes of the developed components 

and their integration demonstrations:

• Load frame

• Hydration system

• Individual desalination device

• Environmental protection enhancements

• Integration of signature management and blast/ballistics technologies

• Fragmentation protection improvements

• Integration evaluation SOP

Payoff:

• Improved Soldier lethality and survivability through integrated enhancements in 

ensemble architecture and performance, body armor, and signature 

management

• A hydration system that minimizes or eliminates the need for potable water resupply

• Enduring process to evaluate integration efficacy of ensembles

COMBAT PROTECTIVE ENSEMBLE (CAPE)

Milestone Timeline FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25

Capability Gap Front End Analysis K

Load Management Improvements (Load Frame 

and Hydration System) 5 6

Individual Desalination Capability 4 6

Environmental Protection Enhancements for 

Temperate to Hot and Temperate to Cold OE 4 6

Multi-spectral Signature Management Integration 

in each OE ensemble 4 6

Body Armor Integration in each OE ensemble 4 6

Sub-system integration evaluation in each OE 

ensemble 5 6

Systems integration evaluation of each optimized 

OE ensemble 6

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TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER MECHANISMS

Flexibility through non-funded federal partnering agreements

•One or more federal laboratories working with one or more 

non-federal partner(s) toward a common R&D objective.

Cooperative Research and 

DevelopmentAgreements 

(CRADAs)

•Straight fee-for-service testing, not a collaborative effort.

•Customer owns all test data, Gov’t release is prohibited

Testing ServiceAgreements 

(TSA)

•Non-exclusive, partially exclusive, or exclusive. Patent LicenseAgreements 

(PLAs)

•For the purpose of encouraging and enhancing study in 

scientific disciplines at all levels of education.

Educational Partnership 

Agreement (EPA)

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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND 

DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS (CRADA)

Presumes alignment of government and commercial/academic 

technical objectives

• Non-federal partners can provide personnel, services, facilities, equipment, and funds.

•Federal partners can provide personnel, services, facilities, equipment, but no funds to non-federal 

partners.

• Each party retains ownership of solely invented IP and joint inventions will be jointly owned.

•Federal government retains a non-exclusive license to all IP arising under the CRADA, for use by or on 

behalf of the government.

•Government agrees to negotiate a royalty bearing exclusive license to government owned IP arising 

under the CRADA.

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TESTING SERVICE AGREEMENTS

Unique federal laboratory facilities/capabilities are available to the 

private sector for testing purposes

• The purchaser retains sole ownership of the test results and the government is prohibited from disclosing 

data to third parties.

• Cost to the purchaser is equal to the laboratory’s cost to provide the service.

• A Testing Service Agreement (TSA) is a simple two party agreement that can be turned around in a few 

days.

• The government does not derive any rights in or to the purchaser’s Intellectual Property.

• The government is prohibited from directly competing with private testing service companies.

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UNIQUE CAPABILITIES & FACILITIES

Environmental Protection Testing Facility

One of only four ASTM F1930 test 

systems operational in North America, the 

only one in a DoD facility

High Performance Fiber & Textile Facility 

Novel yarn and textile production on a 

research level; fiber processing, weave, 

knit, braid, or twist yarns to produce and 

evaluate multifunctional properties

Design, Pattern, & Prototype Shop 

Original concept design, product 

improvements, grading and construction 

of prototype clothing & individual 

protection; preparation for manufacturing 

scale-up

Footwear Performance Lab

Only DoD-operated footwear testing

laboratory uses industry and military

unique test methods

Textile Material Evaluation Facility

State-of-the-Art, ISO 9001 certified testing 

laboratory capable of over 100 standard 

textile test methods for research and 

development

Camouflage Evaluation Facility 

Calibrated light and realistic renderings 

for the evaluation of signature in four 

vignettes

Load Carriage Prototype Shop

Expert design and fabrication of load 

carriage equipment, pouches and tactical 

gear

Ballistic & Blunt Impact Laboratory 

(NEW!)

Material evaluation and process 

improvement for fabricating lightweight 

armor

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COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

• Public Benefit

• Substantial involvement is expected between the agency and the 

recipient

• Funding Agreement

• Rigid Patent Rights

Cooperative 

Agreement (CA)

Under a Cooperative Agreement, a principal purpose is to transfer a thing of value 

to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by 

law of the U.S. instead of acquiring property or services for the direct benefit or use 

of the U.S. government

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDED CONTRACTS

BAAand Unsolicited Proposals must comply with the FAR but still provide the offeror 

with more flexibility than a typical contract solicitation.

• The BAAis an open solicitation for proposals.

• It is funded to fulfill requirements for scientific study and 

experimentation.

• The BAAdoes not focus on specific systems or hardware.

• The solicitation is divided into topic groups that are of 

interest to the sponsoring lab and identifies a POC for that 

area.

BroadAgencyAnnouncement 

(BAA)

• Innovative and unique;

• Independently originated and developed by the offeror;

• Prepared without Government endorsement or involvement;

• Include sufficient detail to permit a proper evaluation;

• Not be an advance proposal for a known agency 

requirement;

• Not address a previously published agency requirement.

Unsolicited Proposals (UP)

BAA and UP are 

always subject to 

availability of 

appropriate agency 

research funds in a 

fiscal year.

Funds are limited, 

and we typically 

plan spending 1-2 

years in advance.

Small Business Innovative Research Program

• For Independent Small Business (less than 500 employees)

• Phase I determines the scientific, technical and commercial merit and 

feasibility of the ideas submitted. Typically $150,000 over a period of 

six months.

• Phase II is the major R&D effort, contracts are up to $1 million and 

usually span 24 months.

• Phase III (commercialization) is the ultimate goal of the SBIR program.

Small Business Innovative Research 

(SBIR) Program

https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/

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BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA)

B. SOLDIER PROTECTION AND SURVIVABILITY 

Warfighter Systems Technologies

1. Integrated Protective Headborne Equipment and 

Injury Diagnostic/Assessment Tools

2. Modular Personal Protection Equipment (MPPE) 

and Injury Diagnostic Assessment Tools

3. Chemical/Biological Protection for Individuals

4. Flame and Thermal Protection for the Individual 

Soldier

5. Counter Surveillance

6. Body Worn Interactive Materials

7. Materials Nanotechnology

8. Advanced Protection, Integration 

Technologies/Systems and Assessment 

Methods

9. Integrated Sound, Light and Blast Management 

for the Ears and Eyes

Textile Technologies

1. Multi-Functional Materials

2. High Performance Multi-Component Fibers

Modeling and Simulation

1. Individual Ground Soldier and Small Unit 

Operational Effectiveness and Survivability

Additional Information and POCs 

for each area are listed in the BAA

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https://sam.gov/opp/3c626456ada845628790f50ccc306e47/view?keywords=W911QY20R0022&sort=-

relevance&index=opp&is_active=true&page=1
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https://ccdcsoldiercenter.army.mil/#/workwithus

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BENEFIT

• Programs will improve Soldier Lethality and Survivability (Protected, Optimized & Lethal)

• Programs will improve Soldier Quality of Life in the Field and After Deployment

• Programs are a source of Revenue with Potential for follow on Production Contracts
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SOLDIER PROTECTION DIRECTORATE 

POINTS OF CONTACT

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Follow us:

DEVCOM Soldier Center 

Soldier Protection Directorate 

Attn: FCDD-SCD-P

15 General Greene Ave 

Natick, MA 01760

Mr. Ken Ryan

Division Chief, Protection Equipment Division, 

Soldier Protection Directorate

508.206.3794

kenneth.f.ryan.civ@army.mil

https://ccdcsoldiercenter.army.mil/#/workwithus

Dr. David Colanto

Program Manager, Integrated Multi-Threat Headborne System (IMHS) 

Soldier Protection Directorate

508.206.3790

david.s.dolanto.civ@army.mil

Dr. Shaun Filocamo 

Program Manager,

Combat Protective Ensemble (CAPE) 

Soldier Protection Directorate

508.206.3939

shaun.f.filocamo.civ@army.mil

Mr. John Kirejczyk 

Program Integrator,

Soldier Protection Directorate

508.206.3175

john.a.kirejczyk.civ@army.mil

Mr. Clinton McAdams 

Strategic Integrator,

Soldier Protection Directorate

508.206.3643

clinton.b.mcAdams.civ@army.mil

Mr. Kristian Donahue 

Program Manager, CCSM 

Soldier Protection Directorate 

508.206.3638

kristian.l.donahue.civ@army.mil
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OUR SOLDIERS

Protected

Optimized

Lethal

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DEVCOM SOLDIER CENTER

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