Indirect Fire and Fuze Technology
Abstract
The Indirect Fire and Fuze Technology project includes product improvement development efforts to upgrade indirect fire weapon systems and munitions that have already been fielded and/or are in production. Indirect Fire Weapons and Munitions Product Improvement Projects include improved target engagement, increased reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety, standardization and interoperability with weapons and munitions of Allied Nations, defense exportability features, reduction of failure mechanisms, and supply chain risk through introduction of new and alternative technology and materiel solutions, improvement of manufacturing methods and their associated production and life cycle support processes, new capabilities in response to the evolving and emerging threats and countermeasures, and reduction/elimination of potential environmental and health risks associated with these products. This supports the identification, study, analysis, and development of fuzing technologies and safe arm devices in production and in the field. This project will implement technologies into fuzing systems to preclude obsolescence, maximize standardization, enhance performance, and improve the safety and exportability of existing munitions. The project 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. This supports the implementation of IM improvements to the 81mm Mortar Cartridge while meeting all other Key Performance Parameters, namely lethality. The M821A3 IM cartridge does not meet lethality requirements as outlined in the User Requirements (Capability Production Document (CPD)). This project is to design an 81mm Mortar (M821A3E1) with pre-formed fragmentation to increase the lethality. The M821 series of 81mm Mortars is the primary 81mm go-to-war round for U.S. Army and USMC. This project will provide users a safer round, improving the IM technology and reducing the risk of unplanned stimuli. This project will also provide enhanced lethality over the M821A3, increasing the capability of the 81mm system. RDT&E funding is required to develop, test and qualify the pre-formed fragmentation design on the 81mm IM round and ensure that lethality performance requirements are met. FY 2018 funding supports testing to demonstrate fuze setback spring interface improvements, engineering tests to prove-out the mortar fuze electronics upgrades, studies on medium caliber fuzes to improve throughput and reduce costs, testing to prove-out impact switch upgrades, evaluations on transceiver component replacement prototype devices for indirect fire and direct fire fuzes, studies on second source MEMS-based G-switches for medium and large caliber applications, and 81mm M821A3E1 HE IM Mortar completion of safety/environmental test and analysis and full arena testing and analysis of test data.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- ER5_0607131A_7_2040_PB_2018
Related Documents
- Root: Weapons and Munitions Product Improvement Programs
- Child Accomplishment: Fuze Technology Improvements (FTI)
- Child Accomplishment: 81mm M821A3E1 HE IM Mortar Program