Munitions Standardization, Effectiveness and Safety

The **Munitions Standardization, Effectiveness and Safety** program (PE 0605805A) is a comprehensive Army research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) initiative focused on improving the performance, safety, and logistics of non-nuclear conventional munitions. The program coordinates efforts across multiple projects to address survivability, standardization, lifecycle management, safety, and demilitarization of munitions. Its overarching goal is to ensure that Army and allied forces have reliable, effective, and safe munitions available for operational use. The program also supports modernization and risk mitigation across the munitions enterprise. **Project 297 Munitions Survivability & Logistics** aims to enhance the survivability and logistical agility of Army units by investigating and demonstrating improvements in munitions storage, handling, and supply chain management. Key objectives include integrating Insensitive Munitions (IM) technologies to reduce the risk of catastrophic explosive events, developing advanced packaging and distribution systems, and improving asset visibility and ammunition management. The project supports predictive life cycle management through environmental monitoring and data-driven algorithms, enabling rapid resupply and optimized ammunition health monitoring. These efforts align with Army modernization priorities such as Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF), Next Generation Combat Vehicles (NGCV), and contested logistics. **Project 857 DoD Explosives Safety Standards** supports the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Standards Board in developing and updating risk-based safety standards for ammunition and explosives. The project funds research and testing to quantify hazards, improve hazard classification procedures, and develop explosion-resistant facility designs. It also provides methodologies for site planning, risk assessment, and protective construction, ensuring that all DoD operations involving ammunition and explosives manufacturing, testing, storage, transportation, and disposal are conducted with minimized risk to personnel and infrastructure. **Project 858 Army Explosives Safety Management Program** is responsible for establishing, validating, and modifying Army-specific explosives safety requirements in accordance with DoD and Army standards. The project promotes the development and application of innovative safety technologies, risk-based consequence models, and protective infrastructure designs. It funds destructive testing, modeling, and tool development to improve risk management decisions and enhance the survivability of personnel, facilities, and equipment. There is a particular focus on combat theater operations and distributed manufacturing processes for energetic materials. **Project 859 Life Cycle Pilot Process** supports the Army's Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA) Industrial Base Strategic Plan by investigating advanced manufacturing technologies, mitigating single point failures in the supply chain, and refining life cycle costs. The project assesses alternative materials, automation, and lean manufacturing processes to improve cost efficiency, safety, and sustainability. It also evaluates transformational manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing and agile production lines, to increase the resiliency and flexibility of the Army's munitions industrial base. **Project F21 NATO Ammo Evaluation** ensures the interoperability and interchangeability of ammunition and weapons among NATO member countries. The project funds compliance testing with NATO standardization agreements (STANAGS), supports the North American Regional Test Center (NARTC), and enhances the lethality, effectiveness, and survivability of various ammunition types. By promoting standardization, the project facilitates joint operations, increases foreign military sales, and supports the U.S. industrial base through economies of scale. **Project F24 Conventional Munitions Demilitarization** develops and transitions technologies for the safe and efficient demilitarization and disposal of obsolete or unsafe munitions. Activities include advanced destruction, resource recovery and recycling, propellant and energetics removal, waste stream treatment, and innovative disassembly processes. The project aims to reduce the demilitarization stockpile, lower processing costs, and ensure environmentally compliant operations. It also transitions RDT&E products to Army depots and commercial facilities, supporting the SMCA mission and compliance with DoD directives.