L200 - Benefits of IM for Storage and Operations

A number of deadly ammunition accidents in the sixties and seventies of the last century have triggered the development and use of Insensitive Munitions (IM). Although good progress has been made IM has unfortunately not yet been widely fielded around the world. 

A possible reason is that the benefits of IM are not always clear. IM test standards as well as explosive safety risk management standards have become increasingly complex and are not always consistent. The translation of IM test result to realistic situations such as large scale storage is not yet fully understood. 

In order to further enhance the use of IM, MSIAC conducted a work element with the aim to identify the benefits of IM on storage and operations. The current report presents the results and makes various recommendations for improvements. The project was undertaken by the MSIAC Stokes fellow and took place from March 28 to August 26, 2016. Preliminary results have been presented earlier at the IMEMTS 2016 and published as an MSIAC Open Report (Keefe, 2016). The current report is part of the preparation for an MSIAC workshop on “Improved Explosives and Munitions Risk Management” (IEMRM), to be held in 2018.