RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Weapons The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 3.5 of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: To develop and demonstrate the next-generation of multi-phase blast munitions by taking advantage of the synergistic integration of high-explosives and reactive materials to provide battlefield superiority through increased lethality. DESCRIPTION: The US Army is developing new munitions that require more space for electronics, sensors, and rocket motors in order to increase range and accuracy. As a result, these munitions have less room for payload and lethal mechanisms while still requiring the same performance or in some cases, increased performance. There are several Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) projects on-going that require significantly longer range munitions, particularly in the 155mm size (XM1113 & XM1155). These munitions will have notably smaller payload volumes and therefore decreased lethality unless new warhead technologies are implemented in these systems. The Army is interested in developing the next-generation of blast munitions that will provide overmatch capabilities on the battlefield, in line with Army Modernization Priorities. The introduction of metals into explosive formulations constitutes the basis of thermobaric munitions and provides the baseline for blast performance. The addition of aluminum or other metals to high explosives (HEs) enables in increase in the overall detonation temperatures, provides an improvement of Gurney energy output and significantly enhances the overall blast performance compared to HEs alone. Based on the type of munition, further improvement of performance can be obtained by the incorporation of reactive materials (RM) in the surrounding casings of HE charges. The benefits of this type of configuration are numerous, and include an ease of incorporation of these RM liners into existing systems, along with the ability to maintain munition design specifications while improving performance. Since this approach does not require the requalification of HEs, the replacement of inert casing materials with RM liners offers an easier path to transition the technology into fielded systems. Another benefit of this approach is the ability to produce blast performance attributes beyond simple metallized explosives. While the metal content of HE formulations is limited, an RM liner can easily supply a larger mass of the metal additive, thus enhancing blast performance. Further changes in the integration of both HE and RM within a munition has led to a variety of novel, high-energy blast explosive configurations. Although these innovative combinations of HEs and RMs provide enhanced blast effects, scaling effects still need to be demonstrated. Independent of configuration, the performance of blast munitions is currently limited by the incomplete combustion of the metal additives, either within the HE formulations or as part of RM liners. Beyond variation of HE-RM configurations, the next level of lethality will rely upon the intimate understanding of the kinetic and thermodynamic interactions between high explosive energetic releases and RM combustion events. Accordingly, understanding the relationship between HE detonation pressure and temperature on the ignition and propagation attributes of RMs holds the potential to increase the efficiency of metal and metal-based formulations. This topic leverages Army's on-going Advanced Warheads Technology (AWT) and Advanced Propulsion & Explosives (APEX) projects. PHASE I: Develop correlations between coupled HE and RM performance attributes through experimental testing of RM formulations of interest, provided to the Army for quantification of energy release and overall blast performance. PHASE II: Further develop and optimize the HE-RM synergistic interactions established in Phase I using thermodynamic analysis to achieve the optimal combinations of energy release properties. Scale up the manufacturing process and produce prototypes in at least three (3) configurations of interest to the Army and deliver five (5) prototypes from each configuration to the Army. Conduct field tests to demonstrate performance. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Transition the developed materials and related technology to a major manufacturer for incorporation of this technology into next-generation munitions for the Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF), Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV), & Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Cross Functional Teams (CFTs). To further exploit the benefits of the developed technology, form partnerships with other manufacturers for applications within civilian sectors, such as the oil and construction industries. This technology can also be leveraged for mining applications and applications related to underwater blasting and demolition, breaking log jams, breaking ice jams, initiating avalanches, timber or tree cutting, the perforation of arctic sea-ice or permafrost, glacier blasting, ice breaking, etc. REFERENCES: Klap tke, T.M. Chemistry of High-Energy Materials, 2nd ed., Walter de Gruyter & Co.: Berlin, 2012. 257 pp. ISBN 978-311027358-8. Yen, N.H., Wang, L.Y., Reactive Metals in Explosives, Propellants, Explosives and Pyrotechnics 2012, 37(2), 143-155. Peiris, S.M. Enhancing Energy in Future Conventional Munitions using Reactive Materials, AIP Conference Proceedings 1979, 020002 (2018). R. Zaharieva and S. Hanagud, Preliminary Design of Multifunctional Structural-Energetic Materials for High Density, High Strength and Release of High Enthalpic Energy, Inter. J. of Sci. Eng. and Tech, vol. 3, pp. 1189 1192, 2014. DoD Joint Enhance Munitions Technology Program (JEMTP) KEYWORDS: High explosive, reactive materials, multi-phase blast, combustion efficiency, blast munitions, detonation pressure, detonation temperature
