IV.I.03—Insensitive Munitions (IM) Minimum Smoke Propellants.   Develop propulsion systems composed of energetic materials and inert components for current and future Army tactical missile systems that meet the policy of the Joint Services Requirement for Insensitive Munitions (JSRIM). By the end of FY96, load IM motor cases with minimum signature solid propellant and complete IM testing. By FY97, identify MS formulations with and survivable inert case concepts. By FY99, demonstrate the integration of an MS propellant and response–mitigating inert components in a tactical scale motor.

Supports: Mounted Battlespace Battle Lab, Dismounted Battlespace Battle Lab, Hellfire, JAVELIN and LOSAT, system upgrades and advanced concepts.

IV.I.05—Objective Crew Served Weapon (OCSW).  Develop and demonstrate an ultralight, two–man portable, crew served weapon system yielding improved suppression and incapacitation probabilities out to 2,000 meters against protected personnel, and having a high potential to damage light and lightly armored vehicles, water craft, and slow moving aircraft out to 2,000 meters. In FY97, demonstrate penetration capability of 2–inch (51mm) Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) (threshold), or 2–inch (51mm) High Hardness Armor (HHA) (goal). In FY98, demonstrate high probability of suppression and incapacitation out to 2,000 meters against protected personnel targets with the following threshold/goals: Weapon < 38/25 lb; Ground Mount < 12/9 lb; Ammunition < 0.40/0.30 lb; Fire Control < 7/4 lb (est.). In FY99, integrate OICW variant fire control system into OCSW system (leverage OICW ATD; STO III.I.1). In FY00, conduct technical, safety and troop tests to demonstrate operational utility and technological maturity.

Supports: Replacement for selected 40mm MK19 GMG and Cal. .50, M2 HMG; primary/secondary armament for vehicle applications (i.e. CRUSADER, FSCS, FIV); Transitions to PM–Small Arms funded 6.4 program.

IV.I.07—Flexible Sustainer for Multimission Weapons.  This flexible sustainer will demonstrate two approaches, one a low thrust, controllable, bipropellant gel propulsion system, and a pintle controlled solid propulsion, both tightly integrated with the weapon system guidance and sensor to achieve dramatic gains in system performance. Approaches are dependent upon determination of optimum velocity required for range and target. By FY98, design the layout for the workhorse component demonstration. Select the baseline propellant. By FY99, demonstrate propulsion system performance in workhorse hardware, and develop advanced propellant. By FY00, downselect to a single approach, complete characterization of advanced propellant, and finalize design of flightweight component hardware. By FY01, complete flightweight component development and demonstrate high performance in a sustain engine. This flexible sustain technology will provide short time–to–target for close range, a doubling of the maximum range within the existing missile package, and high engagement velocities for improving terminal performance, particularly at the long ranges.

Supports: Follow–On–To–TOW (FOTT), Hellfire III, Stinger Block II.

IV.I.08—Seeker Dome for Hypervelocity Air And Missile Defense.  The Operational Requirements Document for the STINGER Guided Missile System, dated 17, Jan 1996, establishes a requirement to counter/engage a new generation threat that may be hypervelocity. This effort will develop a seeker dome for a 2.75 inch diameter missile that is capable of operating in and withstanding hypervelocity flight conditions. The concept is the P³I growth of the existing STINGER system through the adaption of the planned Block II seeker to a hypervelocity motor. Development of a dome for this seeker is one of the critical technologies that must be addressed before this seeker can be implemented in a functional system. For this proposed effort, current state of the art seeker dome technologies will be identified and applied to development of a dome for the STINGER system. Current IR dome materials such as Sapphire and Spinel provide the thermal and thermal shock resistance required to perform in low altitude hypervelocity environments. In this program, the best dome design (i.e., material and configuration) will be developed and tested. The development of a dome attachment scheme to the missile airframe (which is a critical aspect of the design) will be included in this effort as well as system simulation studies to assess extended range capabilities. These simulation studies will include evaluating dome shapes as well as alternate motor designs. Testing of the dome will consist of subjecting the seeker system (dome along with an IR sensor) to a hyperthermal environment to assess its survival and operation. At the end of FY98 trade studies and preliminary concept will be complete. By the end of FY99, preliminary design, design evaluation, and laboratory testing will be complete. This STO will culminate in FY00 with the completion of the final design, fabrication of seeker domes and the testing of these domes in a hypervelocity environment to assess performance.

Supports: STINGER Weapons System, Cruise Missile Defense, AVENGER Weapon System, Bradley Linebacker.

IV.I.09—Warheads for Armor Defeat.  By FY98, this STO will demonstrate a single multimode warhead to defeat both lightly and heavily armored targets. In FY96, develop and demonstrate a wide area shaped charge penetrator warhead to provide a 400% increase in lethal area against lightly armored target. In FY97, conduct evaluation of more lethal main charge warhead for heavy armor defeat utilizing more powerful explosive and advanced liner material. In FY98, demonstrate warhead design that has selective mode to defeat either a heavy armored target (15–20% increase in performance compared to Javelin) or a lightly armored target (400% increase in lethal area compared to standard Shaped Charge).

Supports: Javelin, Hellfire, BAT, etc. Dismounted Battlespace BL.

IV.I.10—Polynitrocubane Explosives.  By FY99, this STO will demonstrate a more powerful explosive using polynitrocubane to increase energy performance by up to 25% compared to current fielded explosives. In FY96, initiate the synthesis of a more powerful polynitrocubane explosive. In FY97, scale up the polynitrocubane explosive to pound level. In FY98, scale up the polynitrocubane explosive to pilot plant quantity and initiate formulation study for antiarmor warhead (Shaped Charge or Explosively Formed Penetrator) loading. In FY99, conduct static warhead test using the polynitrocubane explosive to show increase in energy performance by up to 25% and with comparable sensitivity to LX–14.

Supports: BAT, AIS, Mounted & Dismounted Battlespace Battle Labs.

IV.I.11—High–Energy/High–Performance Propellant Formulations for Tank Guns.  By FY98, this STO will demonstrate a high performance propellant with a 10–20% increase in impetus values over JA2 propellants yielding a 5–10% increase in muzzle velocities over the M829A2. In FY96, initiate small scale evaluation of the high energy gun propellant composition. In FY97, scale up pilot plant processing technology and perform preliminary gun firings. In FY98, conduct final evaluation and demonstrate high performance propellant in live firing to increase impetus values by 10–20% over JA2 and muzzle velocities by 5–10% over M829A2 to enhance lethality.

Supports: All Tank Munitions, Mounted Battlespace battle lab.

IV.I.13—Electrothermal–Chemical (ETC) and Electromagnetic (EM) Armaments for Direct Fire.  Demonstrate leap ahead technology to defeat future threat targets such as explosive reactive armor and active protection systems using EM (2015) and ETC (nom. 2002) armaments in mobile, armored vehicles. EM gun technology is high risk, but has potential for tunable lethality for defeating a spectrum of future threats. ETC technology offers potential for achieving demonstrated 140–mm performance from a 120–mm cannon. ETC is high risk as an M1A2 SEP candidate, but is a risk mitigator for FCS, since power requirements are much lower than for EM. Crucial to the success of EM armaments is the development of compact pulsed power rotating machinery (compulsators, CPAs) and integrated launch packages (ILPs). Structural mechanics analysis methods for compact CPAs and ILPs will be developed. The understanding of EM launch package accuracy and rail interaction will be advanced. ETC combustion control will be modeled and tested. By FY97, complete and test the subscale pulsed power compulsator (CPA), perform structural mechanics analysis of ILP candidate, and develop ETC concepts for feasibility tests. By FY98, test subscale compulsator at full design limits, fire base–pushed novel penetrator ILP, and demonstrate 14 MJ ETC launch from 120mm, M256 cannon. By FY99, demonstrate 3 J/g in a pulsed power CPA system mated to an EM gun, ILPs at 7MJ:2.5 km/s, launch energy velocity, with less than 50% parasitic mass and no accuracy barriers, and from a 120–mm XM291 ETC gun system, obtain 16–17MJ, i.e., equivalent performance to that demoed in a 140–mm conventional gun. EM offers potential for hypervelocity launch with increased and flexible lethality, increased hit probability, reduced firing signature, propellant elimination, and synergism with an all–electric vehicle system. Benefits of ETC propulsion include significant muzzle energy increases at an order of magnitude less pulsed power than for EM guns by enabling advanced charge designs, and improved combustion control with potential for increased accuracy.

Supports: TRADOC, PM–TMAS, ARDEC, TARDEC, PEO–ASM.

IV.I.14—Target Destruct TD.  The Target Destruct TD will demonstrate, via modeling and both surrogate and actual threat target testing the most promising advanced lethal mechanisms launched at ordnance and "super ordnance" velocities at extended range with up to 100% increase in lethality over the current equivalent caliber of ammunitions. The results will lead to a more efficient defeat of threat target arrays for the Future Combat System (FCS), Abrams tank, Future Scouts and Cavalry System (FSCS), Bradley, and Future Infantry Vehicle (FIV), Lethal mechanisms considered include a variety of novel penetrators (including hypervelocity–type), novel warheads, and "blunt trauma" projectiles. In FY98, novel penetrator warhead concepts capable of defeating threat target arrays (frontal top attack and counter APS) associated with the FCS. Abrams Tank will be defined, simulation completed to determine best technical approaches, and fabrication of demonstration hardware initiated. In FY99, initiate demonstrations of novel penetrator defeat FCS and Abrams threat targets, demonstrate and characterize, in live–fire testing, "blunt trauma" projectile lethal effects, and complete novel penetrator concept design and selection of the best technical approaches for defeat of the Bradley, FSCS, and FIV threat target arrays. In FY00, complete demonstrations of heavy threat target defeat, demonstrate novel penetrator defeat of heavy and light armored threat, and conduct overall assessment of all lethal mechanisms against future target arrays.

Supports: All antiarmor weapon systems and weapon platforms: 120mm Tank Ammunition (KE, CE, Smart Munitions, M1A1, M1A2, M1A2 SEP, M1A2 SEP–, Future Combat System, KE/CE Missiles, Bradley Future Scout and Cavalry System, Future Infantry Vehicle, Advanced Assault Amphibian, USAARMC, USAIS, USMC.

IV.I.15—Advanced Solid Propulsion Technology.  Demonstrate advanced solid propellant technology to increase muzzle energy by 25%. The increased muzzle energy and lethality resulting from this advanced propellant technology will provide a same number of stowed kills in a smaller volume. By FY99, investigate RDX based advanced propellants. By FY00, manufacture and test CL20–based advanced propellants. By FY01, demonstrate propulsion performance increase of 25% in scaled and large–caliber guns. This STO is being conducted with ARDEC.

Supports: PM–Crusader, PM–Paladin, PM–TMAS, PM–Bradley, Future Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Future Scout Vehicle, Future Combat System.

Supports: Force XX1, US Army Field Artillery and School (USAFACS), and D&SA Battle Lab, MLRS, ATACMS.

IV.I.17—Armament Decision Aids.  By FY00, this STO will demonstrate decision aids software for an advanced self–propelled howitzer to reduce fire mission response time by 50% compared to current methods while operating with a maneuver force. In FY97, investigate armament decision aids using techniques that may include rule–based reasoning, fuzzy logic, Bayesian networks, artificial neural nets, or a combination of the four, and interface requirements for fire support elements in a maneuver environment. In FY98, conduct object oriented analysis of advanced reasoning and artificial intelligent techniques implemented in a set of software components for use by fire support elements capable of operating with a maneuver force. In FY99, integrate software components with existing platform vetronics. The components will be designed with the ability to be configured in a distributed (internetted) as well as a standalone environment. In FY00, demonstrate software components that reason based on digital terrain data, with a 50% reduction in time required to respond, emplace, fire, and conduct survivability moves while operating with a maneuver force, as compared to current methods.

Supports: STO III.G.12 Crusader, Paladin P³I.