O-092 The Evolution of NIMIC to MSIAC: new Services & Products to support the International Munitions Safety Community

After a three-year transition period that started in 1988, NIMIC was formally established in 1991 as an Information Analysis Center (IAC) dedicated to Insensitive Munitions. Over the years NIMIC has effectively supported the development and implementation of IM technologies.

The NIMIC Nations now see the development and fielding of Insensitive Munitions becoming a normal part of the safety design process. The Pilot-MSIAC (Munitions Safety Information and Analysis Center) operation was created within NIMIC in January 2003 to broaden the NIMIC scope to ammunition safety with the objective of transitioning into MSIAC in 2005. The MSIACs scope will cover the whole life cycle of munitions and the support to the CNAD Ammunition Safety Group (CASG, also called AC/326).

This paper presents a series of new activities (products and services) that have already started in Pilot-MSIAC to achieve the new objectives defined by the NIMIC/Pilot-MSIAC Steering Committee. Some of the most significant new tasks are:

• The development of an Ammunition Safety Analysis Software
• The development of an International Munitions and Explosives Accidents Database
• The organization of three workshops in collaboration with NATO AC/326:
• RS-RDX Technical Meeting in November 2003
• Debris from Explosions Technical Meeting in conjunction with 31st DoD Explosives Safety Seminar
• The Effect of Ageing upon Insensitive Munitions Life Cycle
• The development of online services to support the NATO AC/326 sub-groups activities.