O-149 Superior Infrared Flare Compositions based on Magnesium Diboride (MgB2) and Dimagnesium Silicide (Mg2Si)/Polytetrafluoroethylene/ Viton™ Infrared Decoy Flares

The mechanical threats Fragment Impact (FI), Shaped Charge Jet (SCJ) and Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) are recognized to be really severe because they can lead to a shock to detonation transition of the energetic materials, which is difficult to manage and difficult to mitigate.  Consequently, in June 2011, MSIAC organized a workshop to facilitate discussions on how to reduce the sensitivity of munitions to these specific aggressions.
The workshop started with a plenary session, and was then divided into several working groups, including one focused on gun propulsion technology.
The first step of the workshop was to define if EFP should be considered as a new IM threat. The occurrence of many IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) EFP attacks during the recent conflicts prompted this question and a workshop goal was to determine whether or not this “new threat” is already covered by the current IM policy, or if a new test needs to be defined and implemented.
A further goal for the workshop participants was to determine the key factors impacting the response of propelling charges to FI, SCJ and EFP.
This paper and the related presentation will deal with the trends in reducing propellant vulnerability, and the outputs (shortfalls, hindrances and recommendations) of the workshop, especially the following points:
• Propelling charge and explosively formed projectile impact;
• Propelling charge and SCJ or FI;
• Shaped charge jet and fragment impact small scale testing and modelling