Conventional Munitions

The PE 0603609N: Conventional Munitions program is a Navy Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) initiative focused on advancing the safety, survivability, and performance of conventional munitions. This program element is divided into two primary projects: Insensitive Munitions Advanced Development (IMAD) and Explosives Safety and Weapons Assessment. The objective is to reduce the risks posed by energetic materials and munitions in operational environments, while ensuring these systems meet readiness and performance requirements for current and future Navy platforms.

Insensitive Munitions Advanced Development (IMAD) is the Navy's effort to develop, validate, and transition technologies that make munitions less sensitive to unintended stimuli such as fire, shock, and impact. The program addresses propellants, explosives, warheads, fuses, and pyrotechnics, aiming to minimize cook-off reactions and sympathetic detonations during storage and use. IMAD supports all new weapon developments and priority weapon systems, ensuring that insensitive munitions technologies are integrated into the design and production phases. The program is coordinated with other military departments, NATO, and allied countries to maximize efficiency and eliminate redundant efforts.

Within IMAD, objectives include maturing science and technology innovations for integration into Navy weapons, mitigating technical risks for program managers, and addressing documented technical deficiencies in munition classes. Key activities for FY 2026 involve evaluating the effects of reactive material fragment impacts, characterizing molding powders, developing novel binder systems, and qualifying new high-performance explosives and propellants. Additional efforts include remote sensing of cook-off events, evaluation of shoulder-launched assault munitions, and development of digital knowledge management tools for Navy-qualified energetics.

IMAD also encompasses propulsion and ordnance projects, such as demonstrating reduced smoke propellants for air-launched weapons, validating insensitive solutions for rocket motors, and investigating advanced initiation metrics. These efforts are distributed across Navy research centers, including NSWC Indian Head, NAWCWD China Lake, and NSWC Dahlgren. The acquisition strategy for IMAD is non-ACAT, meaning it does not follow traditional milestone-based acquisition processes; instead, it focuses on technology development and evaluation for broad application across Navy weapon systems.

Explosives Safety and Weapons Assessment is a new start in FY 2025, dedicated to reducing risks introduced by emerging technologies and weapons systems that may interfere with ordnance safety and Fleet operations. A major concern addressed by this project is the heightened electromagnetic environment (EME) created by advanced shipboard radars, directed energy weapons, and wireless devices, which can exceed maximum allowable environments and increase the risk of inadvertent detonation of electrically primed explosives. The project develops modeling and simulation tools, new measurement techniques, and alternative instrumentation to assess and mitigate these risks.

Key objectives for Explosives Safety and Weapons Assessment in FY 2026 include the development of the Electrostatic Discharge Technical Information Analysis System, modernization of ordnance safety standards, and design of large-scale fixtures for Fast Cook Off testing. The project also supports the establishment of a Weapons Assessment Technical Review Panel to centralize safety knowledge and provide oversight for weapons system safety reviews. Additional research focuses on updating Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance measurement techniques and hardware, as well as mapping safety criteria for new transmitter frequencies and lithium battery systems.

A notable new effort under this project is the research and development of testing standards and safety criteria for lithium batteries used in and around ordnance, reflecting the increasing prevalence of these energy sources in naval operations. The acquisition strategy for Explosives Safety and Weapons Assessment is also non-ACAT, emphasizing technology development and safety evaluation rather than direct procurement.