Munitions Safety Information Analysis

A formal international requirement for insensitivity was raised as far back as 1984 by NATO s Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD) AC/310 Partnership Group on Safety and Suitability for Service Munitions and Explosives . As a result, a pilot NATO Insensitive Munitions Information Center (NIMIC) was set-up in the USA in 1988. Subsequently, after a couple of years when technologies for production of most ammunition of insensitive types were available and implementation and fielding was more important, the name NIMIC was changed to NATO s Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC) in December 2004. The advantages derived as a result of implementation of IM Policy are briefly described in Chapter 6 (Section 6.8). 

MSIAC Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center... 

Since this area is so important, NATO has founded a Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC). 

Review on Thermochemical Codes. 0-138, NATO-Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center, Brussels,... 

Koch, E.-C. and Schaffner, D. (2009) Sensitivity of Nanoscale Energetic Materials 11. Fuel, Pyrolants and Propellants, L-162, NATO Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC), Bmssels, Belgium. 

A continuing major objective in the area of energetic materials is to achieve diminished sensitivity, i.e. to reduce vulnerability to detonation initiated by unintentional external stimuli these can include, for example, impact, shock, heat, friction and electrostatic charge [1,2], The importance attached to this issue is seen in the establishment, by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of the Munitions Safety Information and Analysis Center (MSIAC, formerly NIMIC) [http //hq.nato.int/related/nimic]. This Center promotes efforts to decrease sensitivity and disseminates relevant information. 

Chamber lifetime is among the considerations that would have a significant impact on cost, reliability, and safety. Were the U.S. Army to further investigate any of the detonation-type technologies examined in this report, a structural integrity assessment for the number of detonation cycles that could be anticipated for the life of the detonation chamber with respect to the types of munitions to be processed would give important information. Likewise, a failure modes and effects analysis for each type of detonation system under consideration would be highly desirable. 

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