Insensitive Munitions -- New Explosives on the Horizon

摘要

The U.S. Army is testing a new explosive filling for the 155mm M795 artillery projectile developed by scientists at the U.S. Army's Holston Army Ammunition Plant (HSAAP) in Kingsport, TN. BAE Systems, Ordnance Systems Inc. (OSI), is the HSAAP operating contractor. Recently, OSI embarked on a program to identify potential next-generation energetic materials that can be used to address stakeholder concerns over the conventional ammunition filling (2, 4, 6- TNT) for 155mm projectiles used by the U.S. Army. The main issue with TNT as a filling for modern projectiles is that the explosive behaves violently if subjected to an accidental stimulus, such as being involved in a fire. In addition, TNT-loaded ammunition is susceptible to attack by enemy fire. For example, .50-caliber armor-piercing bullets can penetrate a TNT-loaded projectile, causing a devastating reaction. High-speed fragments and even the Rocket Propelled Grenade-7 shaped charge weapon system provoke a similar, violent response from TNT-loaded 155mm projectiles. Over the years, there have been many initiatives to make TNT safer. For example, mixing TNT with other nonexplosive additives to 'desensitize' the explosive and make it less violent (and sensitive) when subjected to unplanned stimuli. One major consequence of these approaches is that when TNT is diluted with nonexplosive additives, such as wax or other inert organic materials, the resultant system energy is reduced, which renders the ammunition less effective. When OSI scientists looked at this problem, they took a different path. Their research suggested that the materials needed to make a safe 155mm artillery explosive were not actually available in large quantities. This left two choices: adopt the conventional approach and try to make a safer TNT-based explosive or find a way to produce the potentially more suitable, but not readily available, insensitive replacement for TNT. OSI chose the second option.