Environmental Testing of Explosive Ordnance to Determine Safety and Suitability for Service
Abstract
Prior to procuring new or modified explosives or explosive ordnance, the Australian Defence Force requires information on their safety and suitability for service (S3). This information is provided from the analysis of results from a program of tests designed to replicate the manufacture-to-target sequence of the explosive ordnance being procured. This paper discusses the development of such a test program, including the derivation of the life cycle environmental profile for the item. The men and women of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) must maintain themselves and their equipment in a state of readiness to protect Australia's national interests. Readiness for equipment such as weapons, ammunition, missiles and other explosive ordnance, involves spending long periods in storage interspersed with short periods of transportation and culminating in a requirement to work in the manner intended; for ammunition and missiles, this is a once only requirement. Explosive ordnance is intrinsically lethal. And yet, we have to hang on to it for most of its service life if it is not used in training or combat. This presents a management problem as well as a safety problem: How do I know these explosives will remain safe while I have custody of them while at the same time I can be confident that they will function in the intended manner when required? The answer lies in the test and evaluation programme, developed and used by the Australian Ordnance Council (AOC), prior to the introduction of the explosive ordnance to ADF service.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA507371
Entities
People
- A. G. Ringer