Small-Arms Kinetic Defeat Ammunition for Explosive Ordnance Disposal

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan magnified the importance of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) mission, where EOD teams sometimes responded to more than 3,000 threats of improvised explosive devices (IED) or unexploded ordnance (UXO) per month. Increasing standoff distance between EOD personnel and an explosive threat is critical to protecting these highly trained operators and their equipment. However, achievable standoff distance is largely governed by the tools immediately available to the EOD technician, particularly in remote locations. Several of the more common neutralization tools used by EOD, like disrupters, robots, and bulk explosives, are heavy, large, and often require the technician to get close to the threat for effective tool setup. Harkind Dynamics proposes adaptation of its Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) and Intermediate Force munitions, KIMERA (ìky-MEER-ahî) and WRAITH, to maximize effectiveness and standoff against IED/UXO targets by modifying the fuze and warhead. These munitions have all the required subsystems and functionality to create high-order reactions in IED and UXO threats using standard-issue service weapons, familiar ballistics, and up to an order of magnitude farther standoff distance than any of the aforementioned tools, likely up to 200 yards even for small targets like the BLU-97. Additionally, this paradigm will reduce the size and weight of gear EOD teams must carry in the field and reduce the number of systems they will need to train with.ÝÝKIMERA and WRAITH (TRL 5) 12-gauge and 30-caliber variants are currently being developed under SBIR Phase II's. The fully integrated 12-ga incorporates a compact power source, microcontroller, millimeter-wave radar, warhead, and high voltage initiation subsystems into a package about the size of a Chapstick. The 30-caliber KIMERA variant integrates the warhead, high voltage initiation components, and fuze into the projectile and uses a separate magazine-mounted module to charge and program the rounds for either point detonation, range-delay, or impact delay to accommodate a variety of warhead types suitable to initiate high-order reactions in EOD targets, even those with thicker case walls. Harkind Dynamics is a Type 07 licensed manufacturer of firearms and ammunition,Ýand proposes collaborative development of 7.62x51, .300 Norma Magnum (NM), .338 NM, and 12-ga munitions to create a family of accurate, small-arms EOD ammunitionÝcapable of at least ten times the desired 50-foot standoff distance. This proposed Phase I effort will validate at least one of the proposed calibers using prototype hardware and live-fire tests. Remaining calibers will be developed and evaluated in Phase II.ÝÝ