The Metalith is a prefabricated steel barrier and the name of the product division of Infrastructure Defense Technologies of
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois, United States. Known as the 'City of Murals', Belvidere is home to several public art installations throughout the North and South State Street histo ...
, which manufactures the barrier. It is used in
perimeter defense All-around defense or perimeter defense is a type of defensive fighting position intended to give military units the ability to repel attacks from any direction.
The positioning of the outer defensive fighting positions of a unit, is circular or ...
against
explosive penetration and
ramming
In warfare, ramming is a technique used in air, sea, and land combat. The term originated from battering ram, a siege weapon used to bring down fortifications by hitting it with the force of the ram's momentum, and ultimately from male sheep. Thus, ...
. It has been deployed by the
US Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
in their 21st century wars in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.
A related product from IDT is the Metalith flood control barrier, a system of prefabricated, interlocking aluminum barriers for flood defense, designed to hold ballast such as sand.
Army Corps of Engineers tests have shown they can be assembled 20 times faster than sandbags and faster than any other tested flood control system, with relatively low seepage rates.
References
External links
The Metalith websiteexplosive test conducted on Metalith barrier, at Youtube
Engineering companies of the United States
Defense companies of the United States
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