L-071 THAMES 2000 User's Manual
THAMES stands for Threat Hazard Assessment M Ethodology System. It is a decision aid software tool that automates the process of threat assessment. Its purposes are to identify threats that are credible, i.e. that have the potential to affect a munition throughout its life, and identify the tests and test documents available to assess the reaction of the munition to the threats. The information obtained can be used for the purposes of evaluating the Insensitive Munitions (IM) characteristics of the munition, for assessing its Safety and Suitability for Service (S3) and/or to generate data for further vulnerability evaluation.
The software will help the user create a logic tree that divides a munition life cycle into key phases; logistic, tactical and disposal. Within each of these phases, the NIMIC has defined various levels of situations depending on where the munition is used or located. The approach suggested by the NIMIC forms the Default Logic Tree for a munition life cycle. The user can modify the default logic tree by adding or deleting situations to define the munition life cycle. Once the life cycle has been defined, the user can then assign the potential threats for each situation within the life cycle of the munition being assessed. The software provides the user with a list of potential threats from which to choose. The application allows the addition of user-defined situations and user-defined threats.
Throughout the process of developing the munition life cycle logic tree, the software identifies documents that are applicable for a particular assessment from its document library. These documents, from either international sources (NATO and UN) or national sources (France, the United Kingdom and the United States), have been identified as relevant to the business of developing and managing a munitions and explosives inventory. They are categorised into policy, design and testing documents. The documents selected for a particular assessment are identified in two separate ways. First, documents are mapped in accordance with the munition category, i.e. a document that pertains to the guided weapons munition category only will not be identified for a munition that belongs to the grenade munition category. This first process will select all the documents that have been mapped to a specific munition category (policy, design, testing). The second process of selection is based upon the threat that has been identified for a given munition situation and will strictly select testing documents.
The user is therefore provided with all the possible test procedures that exist to evaluate the effect of a particular threat on the munition. Throughout the process, the user will be able to enter information that he deems pertinent about the assessment. This information can be used as a record of a particular assessment. Bear in mind that the THAMES 2000 software is just a tool and was not intended to do the work for you. It is a guide and the assessor's judgement and experience are paramount to the completion of the process.
