SAVE THE DATE – FEBRUARY 10-11, 2026
OVERVIEW: CLASP is a working-level meeting for engineers and technical personnel from science and technology development, system integration, and program management to exchange information on topics related to armor, survivability, lethality, ballistics, and much more. It is an ideal opportunity for technology developers to get direct feedback from platform systems engineers. As such, most of the discussions will be technical. This also provides an opportunity for leading industry and academic research teams to meet with their government counterparts and discuss current programs and issues of interest to the survivability community.
BACKGROUND: CLASP began in the mid-80s, originally assembled to coordinate light armor activities between the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. During the past ~40 years, CLASP has provided a venue for working-level discussions and expanded to sharing information between government services, industry, and academia in virtually all areas of survivability. Although the name CLASP highlights light armor discussions due to its origin, it is much more today.
MEETING FORMAT: The meeting will be primarily comprised of technical presentations, up to the SECRET level, each ∼20 min long, with an additional 10 min allotted for questions and answers.
Industry participants are required to brief the technical aspects of an ongoing survivability effort. This is required to ensure that all participants are contributing to the meeting, the gathering remains a reasonable size, and marketing briefs are eliminated. To industry participants: Be advised that if there are fellow industry participants in the audience who you would rather not have in the room during your presentation, you may request that they leave for the duration of your presentation. You, the presenter, are solely responsible for any need-to-know restrictions and authorizations required for your presentation.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Abstracts are being accepted for technical presentations for CLASP. Presentation topics should focus on armor designed to defeat small arms and the survivability of dismounted troops or lightly armored vehicles—including ground vehicles, aircraft, and ships—against small arms fire. Presentations may include content up to the SECRET level; however, all submitted abstracts must remain unclassified and may include Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
Abstract Submission Guidelines
- Abstracts should be approximately 200 words and include:
- A prospective title.
- The expected security classification or restrictions of the presentation (e.g., Unclassified, Government Only, SECRET, etc.).
- Submit abstracts via email to combinedlightarmorsurvivabilitypanel@army.mil.
- The submission deadline is November 7, 2025.
- Submitters will be notified of acceptance by November 14, 2025.
- Accepted presentations must be submitted by January 16, 2026.