L-080 Outline of the NIMIC - AC/310 Workshop on Insensitive Munitions Assessment Methodology

This paper has been written in preparation for the March 2002 workshop entitled Insensitive Munitions Assessment Methodology. Since the planning for this workshop began, some members of the IM community have expressed concern and confusion about its title, and what that title means. IM Assessment is often thought of as only the full-scale testing "for score" conducted at the end of the IM development process, rather than the entire process that brings us to that point. In this paper, explanations of IM Assessment Methodology and the goals and expected outputs of the workshop will be offered. The plans for conducting the workshop and the tasks of the discussion groups will be reviewed, in the context of the munition acquisition process and with attention given to existing assessment methodologies, from both IM and related communities.