INSENSITIVE MUNITIONS PROTECTIVE CONTAINERS

TECHNOLOGY HAS EVOLVED TO PRODUCE HIGH PERFORMANCE NAVY MUNITIONS. SUCH MUNITIONS CONTAIN MORE ENERGETIC PROPELLANTS AND WARHEATS (REFERRED TO HEREIN AS EXPLOSIVES) FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS. THE IMPETUS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT IS FLEET DEFENSE WHERE THERE IS A PAYOFF FOR HIGHER THRUST/WEIGHT ROCKET MOROTS AND MORE LETHAL WARHEADS WHICH WILL RESULT IN MORE RANGE AND/OR LESS TIME-TO-TARGET AND INCREASED KILL PROBABILITY. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN INCREASED DETONATION HAZARD WHICH RESULTS IN HIGHER LEVELS OF RISK TO PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO TRANSPORT, STORE, AND HANDLE THE MUNITIONS. THE HIGHER HAZARD LEVELS MAY REDUCE THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH SHIPBOARD STORAGE. THIS PROJECT IS THE FIRST PHASE OF A MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO PRODUCE HARDENED PROTECTIVE CONTAINERS FOR NAVY MUNITIONS STORED IN MAGAZINES ABOARD SHIP. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I EFFORT IS TO (1) IDENTIFY HIGH PAY-OFF MATERIAL CONCEPTS, (2) DEVELOP MATERIAL DESIGN APPROACHES, (3) DEFINE TESTING REQUIREMENTS TO SUPPORT CONTAINER DESIGN AND (4) DEVELOP A PLAN FOR A PHASE II PROGRAM. THE PHASE II PROGRAM WILL UTILIZE THE MATERIAL DESIGN APPROACHES TO SELECT SPECIFIC MATERIALS, (2) DESIGN, FABRICATE AND TEST COUPON LEVEL AND PROTOTYPE ASSEMBLIES, AND (3) DEFINE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FULL SCALE DEVELOPMENT.