Indirect Fire and Fuze Technology

Abstract

This program supports product improvement development efforts to upgrade indirect fire weapon systems and munition that have already been fielded and/or are in production. Indirect Fire Weapons and Munitions Product Improvement Programs include enhanced lethality, range extension, improved target engagement; increased reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety; standardization and interoperability with weapons and munitions of Allied Nations; defense exportability features under the auspices of Better Buying Power; reduced taxpayer life-cycle costs; reduction of failure mechanisms and supply chain risk through introduction of new and alternative technology and material solutions; materiel and technology obsolescence mitigation; improvement of manufacturing methods and their associated production and life cycle support processes; new capabilities in response the evolving and emerging threats and countermeasures; and reduction/elimination of potential environmental and health risks associated with these products and their underlying components, materials, and production processes. This program supports the standardization and interoperability of legacy and new production U.S. weapons and ammunition with Allied Nations to maximize battlefield interchangeability/compatibility under the auspices of the international Joint Ballistics Memorandum Of Understanding (JBMOU). Maximizing standardization, interchangeability, and exportability will also potentially increase Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of U.S. indirect fire Weapon and Munition products to maintain critical mass domestic production and affordable taxpayer costs through increased economies of scale. This program also supports the identification, study, analysis and development of fuzing technologies and safe and arm devices in production and in the field. This program will implement these technologies into fuzing systems to preclude obsolescence, maximize standardization, enhance performance, and improve the safety and exportability of existing munitions. The program addresses two major areas: (1) analysis and (2) block upgrades. Analysis efforts will identify second sources for fuzing systems that may reduce cost by providing competition, and maintain production when sources or parts are no longer available. It will also allow for the performance enhancement of current ammunition items by conducting studies of major fuze components to detect and identify latent defects. The second major area is block upgrades, which will identify and perform studies on improvements to fuzes; increase commonality of fuze components and requirements. Block upgrades will enable the introduction of the latest technologies into fuzing, keep the fuzing design current to avoid obsolescence issues, and add capabilities.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2016
• Source ID: ER5_0607131A_7_2040_PB_2016

Tags

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Munitions and Ordnance Engineering