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TACOM Seeks to Expose Shelters

The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Integrated Logistics Support Center is soliciting feedback from the U.S. armed services concerning the purchase of the S-280 C/G electrical equipment shelter. The center is conducting a data call to determine requirements for empty shelters and to determine the number of shelters programs plan to purchase through fiscal year 2015.

The Army has not procured the S-280 since 1996, but due to program needs, a solicitation for the shelter is being released. “[The IntegratedLogisticsSupportCenter] currently has one customer purchasing approximately 940 shelters over a five-year period, and this quantity will come close to maximum vendor capacity for that time period,” says Joseph Kleinfeldt, logistics management specialist with Tank-Automotive and ArmamentsCommandIntegratedLogisticsSupportCenter (TACOM-ILSC). If this capacity is reached, a second vendor will be needed, he states, which makes this solicitation important. Knowing the possible demand will help prevent the Army from over- or under-purchasing the shelters.

The S-280 C/G electrical equipment shelter is a lightweight, insulated, mobile tactical shelter that serves as a sanctuary for communications, radar, maintenance and electronic equipment, providing protection from the dust, heat and moisture associated with field operations. It is available in radio frequency interference-shielded or unshielded configurations that can be modified to fit specific program or system needs. The shelters presently are being used as mobile communications centers, aviation and artillery repair shops, and electronic equipment maintenance shops.

The Army’s product improvement program reviewed the original S-280 B/G. It was redesigned and tested, resulting in an improved standard shelter. The S-280 shelter will be manufactured in an ISO 9001-certified, quality-controlled facility and will meet the requirements of Military Standard MIL-S-55286/E.

Constructed of foam and beam sandwich panels that consist of a polyurethane foam core, seamless aluminum skins and a framework of aluminum alloy extrusions, the S-280’s structural strength lies in the “barrel hoop” transverse design of the floor and roof beams. The shelter corners also are reinforced to accommodate leveling jacks and to withstand side loads imposed by high winds.

The S-280 is solid on the inside as well as on the outside. The floor load can accommodate the heavy interior traffic associated with high operational tempo and can withstand 2,500 pounds over a 3-square-foot area without permanent deformation.

In addition, the shelter can be transported using any standard 2.5-ton truck depending on payload, but it normally is transported by a 5-ton truck. It also can be transported by M720, M832 or M840 mobilizer sets, fixed-wing aircraft such as the C-130, helicopter, rail or ship. Other options include a combination lifting/tie-down sling to facilitate handling. The shelter includes the cable lift and tie-down assembly and is cataloged under LIN S01495 and NSNs 5411-01-092-0892 and 5411-01-304-3069.

For data interchange information to support systems and programs, contact Joseph Kleinfeldt, shelter item manager, TACOM-ILSC S-280.

B.R. Melton is a member of the Soldier Product Integration Directorate, Life Cycle Management Command.