Maintenance Tents: The Difference Between Lightweight Maintenance Enclosures and Large Area Maintenance Shelters

Military forces around the world rely on a range of tracked and wheeled vehicles to conduct operations. Ideally, a fixed maintenance facility would always be nearby where these vehicles could be maintained to support a constant state of mission readiness.

But with today’s militaries often deployed in remote and harsh environments around the world, a different and rapidly deployable shelter solution is needed. That’s where Lightweight Maintenance Enclosures (LME) and Large Area Maintenance Shelters (LAMS) come in.

Lightweight Maintenance Enclosures (LME)

A lightweight maintenance enclosure, or LME, is a type of military shelter used by the U.S. Army. It is supported by a frame, providing military units with a covered facility for conducting tactical maintenance operations. An LME is an adjustable military tent, where extensions can be added to the frame to increase the height needed to house tactical vehicles and equipment. 

By design, lightweight maintenance enclosures feature a lower weight than standard military maintenance tents. They also offer a fast setup to provide rapid protection against extreme conditions and harsh weather for units performing maintenance. The end walls include sliding or roll-up fabric doors to create a fully enclosed maintenance area as well as for blackout capability. A typical LME measures 24 feet wide by 32 feet long. Lightweight maintenance enclosures can also be used as general-purpose military tents and are available in green or tan.

Unlike the current LME used by the U.S. Army, a lightweight maintenance enclosure from Alaska Defense® does not have interior support braces, requires a smaller crew for setup, and can be engineered to withstand higher wind and snow loads for safety. 

[Related: Military Vehicle Storage Solutions for Cold Weather]

Large Area Maintenance Shelters (LAMS)

Large Area Maintenance Shelters, or LAMS, are large structures that are ideal for military hangars and aircraft maintenance (LAMS-AM) as well as vehicle maintenance (LAMS-VM). LAMS are used by the U.S. Air Force and Army. Available in widths of up to 150 feet and virtually any length, they provide the expansive space required to perform maintenance on oversized vehicles and equipment. 

LAMS are made using tensioned fabric buildings and can be equipped with flat gable ends or full-width clamshell doors for aircraft and large vehicles to easily enter and exit the structure. The exact size and features are determined by operational requirements.

Large area maintenance shelters can accommodate everything from fighter jets such as the F-22 raptor, to next-generation helicopters like the Sikorsky S-97 Raider, to tactical unmanned aerial vehicles like the MQ-9 Reaper.

[Related: Benefits of High-Grade Military Tents From Alaska Defense]

The Ideal Answer to LME and LAMS

Maintenance tents from Alaska Defense^® (Alaska) are a proven turnkey solution to meet the specifications for any LME or LAMS requirement, providing space to store and repair equipment, vehicles, and aircraft.

Able to be outfitted with power generation and distribution systems, lighting and electrical systems, and door options, our military maintenance tents do not require interior supports and can be customized with energy-saving options that reduce energy consumption.

For example, the Alaska ECU^® (environmental control unit) integrates with any Alaska Military Shelter and maintenance tent to deliver a consistent interior temperature in extreme heat or cold climates. Offering both temporary and semi-permanent capabilities, maintenance tents from Alaska Defense can be quickly deployed, disassembled, and redeployed.

Visit the following pages to learn more about the specific capabilities of each of our maintenance tent product offerings:

• Medium Shelter System
• 40’ Shelter System
• Aircraft Hangars
• TUAV Shelters

For additional information about our maintenance tents, email us or complete our inquiry form.