Tag Archives: munitions

DOD collaboration researches munition safety

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U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center Chief Scientist for Energetics, Dr. Jamie Neidert presents an overview for the Munitions Area Technology Group II concerning minimum signature rocket propulsion goals. (U.S. Army photo)

By Nikki Montgomery, AMRDEC Public Affairs

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Oct. 23, 2015) — Government, industry, and academic partners are working together to improve the way munitions function to protect the safety of our future warfighters.

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, or AMRDEC, hosted a Department of Defense collaboration to discuss Insensitive Munitions at the Dynetics Solutions Complex Oct. 20–23.

The Joint Insensitive Munitions Technology Program convenes biannually to exchange research information focused on improving the lethality, reliability, safety, and survivability of munitions and weapon systems, as well as ensuring IM compliance. IMs describe those munitions that will not react to unintentional triggers causing catastrophic damage that impairs warfighting capability.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense directs the approximate $32 million dollar program while it is managed by the U.S. Army Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center, another U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command organization.

JIMTP Program Manager, Anthony Di Stasio expressed the anticipated improvements gained from the Fall Review. Continue reading →

Joint Insensitive Munitions

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Researchers, engineers work to improve safety of munitions.

Researchers, engineers work to improve safety of munitions.

Researchers, engineers work to improve safety of munitions

By William H. Ruppert, IV, P.E., Program Manager, Joint Insensitive Munitions Technology Program

It’s the year 2045 and your grandchild is deployed to the hot spot of the future, commanding a ground unit combating the latest terrorist group. The vehicle he is riding in is suddenly struck by two rocket propelled grenades. The vehicle interior is breached and the ammunition inside sustains a direct hit, but none of them explode and the crew has only minor injuries. They quickly assume their respective defensive positions from inside the vehicle and return fire on the aggressors, decisively defeating them. Their training and their equipment have not failed them. They will live to fight another day.

This may sound too farfetched or even impossible, but at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, researchers lead and support the Joint Insensitive Munitions Technology Program, or JIMTP, to develop safer munitions with the goal of ensuring the safety of our future warfighters.

The JIMTP is a unique partnership of government, industry and academic partners. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has program oversight, but it’s managed by ARL, and laboratories within the Air Force and Navy provide technical management. The partnership is essential to ensure the maximum return on investment in a time of increasing fiscal constraint.

These partners are working together to reinvent the way munitions work – making them almost impossible to ‘go off’ when the warfighter doesn’t want them to – while at the same time improving the lethality, reliability, safety and survivability of munitions.

Continue reading →