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. Efforts 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 by introducing new and alternative technology and materiel solutions, improvement of manufacturing methods and their associated production 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 Project supports the identification, study, analysis, and integration of fuzing technologies and safe arm devices in production and in the field. The Project implements new 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 costs as a result of 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. Block upgrades will identify and support studies on improvements to fuzes, increase commonality of fuze components and requirements. Upgrades will enable the introduction of the latest technologies into fuzing, keep the fuze design current to avoid obsolescence issues, and add capabilities. Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 funding will support the transition and incorporation of the newly translated transceiver prototypes into indirect production fuzes with the generation of Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) to the Technical Data Packages (TDPs), conduct analysis of the improved prototyping techniques of the Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) impact switches for use in mortar and medium caliber fuzes, support the evaluations on hand grenade fuzes to reduce the number of critical defects, which will increase producibility and safety, conduct tests to prove out performance on the next generation microcontroller for mortar proximity fuzes, conduct analysis on mortar training fuzes for performance improvements during early ballistic flight, and conduct testing of enhanced delay mode design on the M739A1 artillery fuze for increased safety and performance. This Project also supports the incorporation of the new Hexachloroethane Zinc Oxide (HC) smoke fill formulation while utilizing the existing illumination shell body configuration to support mortar smoke training for US Army Europe (USAREUR). The HC smoke fill formulation is less toxic and less incendiary than the current Mortar Red Phosphorus (RP) or White Phosphorous (WP) Smoke rounds and will reduce risk of unintended collateral damage or environmentally hazardous waste. USAREUR has yearly requirements for procurement of smoke mortar cartridges across all calibers to be used for training, but is prohibited from training with the current WP or RP smoke munitions in Europe due to environmental restrictions. FY 2021 funding will support qualification of HC smoke fill formulation into the 60mm and 81mm smoke families of ammunition. Engineering efforts will identify the formulation percentage of constituents and identify the production processes required to promote effective smoke production that is less toxic and ultimately provides effective smoke screening and burn time performance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2021
- Source ID
- ER5_0607131A_7_2040_PB_2021
Related Documents
- Root: Weapons and Munitions Product Improvement Programs
- Child Accomplishment: Fuze Technology Improvements (FTI)
- Child Accomplishment: Mortar Smoke Development
- Child Accomplishment: Conventional Ammunition Range and Reliability Improvements
- Child Accomplishment: FY 2020 SBIR/STTR Transfer
- Child Cost Item: 2c3ea66815719c52286af45c95486e0f
- Child Cost Item: 77d15c0d7a3c23b6e24cd4d69cba0798
- Child Cost Item: 49a510890efadba89477df6d057d53c2
- Child Cost Item: 08f3802f2c6af322b6953bb211367532
- Child Cost Item: b4e8c726fcc45f623a2051043913354f
- Child Cost Item: e045139e76dd2446ea0ef1321704876b
- Child Cost Item: 56992d4c697e6fa60b40065699dccf67
- Child Cost Item: 4d1d2f99d439221cd219a0ec1b58f181
- Child Cost Item: e2d84579f13f417770cb672539d24c1e
- Child Cost Item: 323fb637619dbfedc529db572eba2c33