Photoluminescent Products for Tactical Vehicles

AfterGlow, LLC is offering AfterGlow® brand photoluminescent (PL) safety products and AfterGlo® brand photoluminescent safety paint for a variety of military and law enforcement vehicle applications.

AfterGlow® brand Photoluminescent Emergency Egress Lighting™ Kits are being used by the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to improve Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle safety and our Warfighters’ emergency egress capabilities. MRAP vehicles are armored fighting vehicles designed to survive IED (Improvised Explosive Device) attacks, mines and ambushes. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) determined that MRAP exits and escape hatches needed to be positively marked or illuminated to aid emergency egress. After evaluations and review, AfterGlow® brand Emergency Egress Lighting™ Kits were selected for rapid field installation inside the troop compartment and driver/passenger sections of all MRAP vehicles in order to provide the Warfighter with simple, highly-reliable emergency markings.

The U.S. Department of Defense MRAP Joint Program Office released a Safety of Use Message (SOUM) (DTG 081829Z JAN 09) for the “illumination of exits and escape hatches of mine resistant ambush protected family of vehicles.” The JPO message directs the purchase and installation of “photoluminescent magnets/tape in locations that will clearly identify all exits and escape hatches” to prevent personnel injury or death if the interior of an MRAP vehicle becomes dark during an emergency egress event.

U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) recently released its own Safety of Use (SOU) Message 09-010 for the “Marking and Illumination of exits and escape hatches on all MRAP vehicles” to all Army MRAP units (DTG 211723Z NOV 08). This message directs the purchase and installation of “MRAP Photoluminescent Emergency Egress Kits or individual photoluminescent safety tapes as needed” into their vehicles as a quick safety solution to assist occupants during emergency egress in no light situations.

Similarly, the U.S Air Force has issued its own SOUM identifying AfterGlow® brand products and directing their installation. The Marine Corps Systems Command issued a maintenance advisory message for Force Protection’s Cougar vehicles which included the NSN 9390 01 570 7240 for the Cougar Emergency Egress Lighting Kit™. It is anticipated that this requirement may soon be levied on other DoD combat vehicles as well.

All of these messages identify AfterGlow® as the only brand of products, such as the Photoluminescent (PL) Emergency Egress™ Kits, and either provide the website AfterGlowDirect.com for ordering, or direct that they be ordered via the Defense Logistics Agency.  Thus far, more than 24,000 of these kits have been shipped.

Currently, there are five types of AfterGlow® branded kits available depending on the type of MRAP vehicle and the needs of each unit. They are the MRAP Basic Kit, the MRAP Cougar Kit, the MRAP Buffalo Kit, the MRAP Enhanced Kit, and the Combat/Tactical Vehicle Lite (CTVL). All Emergency Egress Lighting Kits and most kit components have been assigned NSNs.

  • The MRAP Basic™ Kit consists of 100 feet of 1-inch wide PL tape with magnetic backing and 25 feet of adhesively-backed (peel and stick) PL tape.
  • The MRAP Cougar Kit contains 100 feet of peel and stick PL tape, 25 feet of PL/magnetic tape, two retro-reflective PL markings for fire extinguishers, and 100 individually wrapped alcohol wipes for preparing/cleaning installation sites. The amount of magnetically backed PL tape and peel and stick PL tape in the Cougar Kits have been reversed because of the non-magnetic spall liners used throughout the Cougar MRAP vehicles.
  • The MRAP Buffalo Kit contains 25 feet of 1-inch wide PL tape with magnetic backing and 25 feet of adhesively backed (peel and stick) PL tape. It also contains two retro-reflective PL markings for fire extinguishers, and 50 individually wrapped alcohol wipes for preparing/cleaning installation sites.
  • The MRAP Enhanced Kit consists of 100 feet of 1-inch wide PL tape with magnetic backing, 25 feet of adhesively-backed (peel and stick) PL tape, and 50 individually wrapped alcohol wipes for prepairing/cleaning installation sites.
  • The new CTVL kit consists of one 25' roll of 1" wide, adhesive-backed PL tape, two hybrid photoluminescent/retroreflective fire extinguisher labels, and 25 alcohol wipes for preparing/cleaning installations sites.

MRAP National Stock Numbers

Kits:

MRAP Basic NSN 9390015681116
MRAP Cougar NSN 9390015707240
MRAP Buffalo NSN 9390015730814
MRAP Enhanced NSN 9390015759940

Individual Products:

100' Roll of Magnetic-backed Photoluminescent Tape 9390015730711
25' Roll of Magnetic-backed Photoluminescent Tape 9390015727264
100' Roll of Adhesive-backed Photoluminescent Tape 9390015727888
25' Roll of Adhesive-backed Photoluminescent Tape 9390015730835
Photoluminescent/Reflective Fire Extinguisher Label 7690015727993
100 Count Alcohol Wipes 4940015814194
50 Count Alcohol Wipes 4940015814193

The phosphors used in AfterGlow® branded products are non-radioactive and are non-toxic. Since the wavelength of the emitted light is outside of the range of IR Night Vision Goggles, use of the products does not interfere with operator visibility or make the vehicle more vulnerable to hostile visual detection.

You have undoubtedly seen AfterGlow® brand photoluminescent safety products throughout the Pentagon or in many other locations around the country. AfterGlow® branded products are also used onboard a number of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships and are being used extensively throughout the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).