Encouraged by the advantages of collaboration, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) worked with the Secretary of the Army to charter the National Automotive Center (NAC) in June 1993.The NAC is the connection point for U.S. Army and Marine Corps ground vehicle technology, serving as the Army focal point for the development of dual-use automotive technologies and their applications to military ground vehicles. The NAC acts as the principal and primary point of contact, linking TARDEC with the automotive industry, other government agencies and academia to build relationships based on mutual technical interests to further this mission.The NAC is co-located with the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, MI, in the heart of the world[HTML_REMOVED]s automotive capital.The NAC[HTML_REMOVED]s collaborative approach makes it possible to improve vehicle performance, safety, energy use and endurance, while also reducing the military[HTML_REMOVED]s design, manufacturing, operations and maintenance costs. The application of jointly developed, or [HTML_REMOVED] dual-use,[HTML_REMOVED] technology has similar impacts - safer cars and trucks, more advanced consumer technology and lower cost due to the broader commercial market base.The Army can take advantage of the sophisticated equipment and highly skilled workforce developing automotive products and technologies that lead to dual-use partnerships with large companies, tier-one suppliers, universities, small businesses and technology innovators. Some examples of these partnerships follow.X