Qualification of 120mm Rifled Ammunition in Support of the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) 42nd Annual Armament Systems: Guns and Missile Systems Conference & Exhibition April 23-26,2007 Charlotte, NC Approved for public release by MARCORSYSCOM on 4/19/07 1 EFSS Program Overview Expeditionary Fire Support System is a U.S. Marine requirement for a weapon system that must be: O All weather O Ground Based O Close supporting O Accurate O Immediate Response O Lethal indirect fire 2 EFSS System Description An EFSS system consists of: O Two Prime Movers O Ammunition Trailer O 120mm Rifled Mortar O Full Suite of 120mm Rifled Ammunition Approved for Release by TDA 3 Mortar and Ammunition Background TDA (a subsidiary of Thales) developed 120mm Rifled Mortar and Ammunition O Developed in the early 1970s O In service with 24 countries, including 4 NATO armies and Japan. O Over 500,000 rounds fired with no issues. O Rifled barrel provides a spin stabilized projectile. O Maximum range of standard rifled ammunition is 8.1km O GD-OTS teamed with TDA to bring rifled mortar capability to EFSS platform Approved for Release by TDA 4 Standard 120mm Rifled Ammunition TDA’s 120mm Standard Ammunition Suite O High Explosive (HE) – 4.2 kg of TNT O Practice – 0.5 kg of black powder for spotting O Illumination – 1.9 kg flare O Obscurant/Incendiary (Smoke) – 2.8 kg of White Phosphorous All four types of ammunition share the same Tail Charge Assembly Approved for Release by TDA 5 120mm Rifled Ammunition for USMC USMC funded GD-OTS to upgrade the ammunition to meet qualification requirements of the USN for EFSS O Insensitive Munitions (IM) O Environmental and Durability O Hazard Classification O Fuze Safety O Performance Oriented Packaging (POP) O Electro-static Discharge 6 EFSS HE Ammunition Upgrade Explosive OBTURATING RING Modifications to HE Projectile FUZE BOOSTER BODY BASE OF SHELL O Replace TNT fill with PBXW-128 (HMX based) O Equip with an M767A1 fuze utilizing a PBXN-5 booster O Add a fuze venting liner between the projectile body and the fuze Design Constraint O Maintain equivalent lethality O Similar ballistics EJECTING CHARGE FIRING SPRING CLIPS CARTRIDGE CHARGES PIN Approved for Release by TDA 7 EFSS Practice Ammunition Upgrade BLACK POWDER OBTURATING BOOSTER CHARGE INERT FUZE BODY RING Modifications to Practice Projectile CHARGE REAR OF BODY O Equip with an M767A1 fuze utilizing a PBXN-5 booster O Add a fuze venting liner between the projectile body and the fuze Design Constraint O Maintain spotting ability O Same ballistic to EFSS HE SPRING CLIPS EJECTING PROPELLANT FIRING PIN CHARGE CHARGE CARTDRIDGE Approved for Release by TDA 8 EFSS Illumination Ammunition Upgrade FRONT SECONDARY REAR BODY BODY PROJECTILE MAIN BRAKE OF PROJECTILE Modifications to Illumination PARACHUTE PARACHUTE ILLUMINATING PARACHUTE CHARGE PROTECTOR Projectile IGNITION HOUSING O Equip with an M762A1 fuze OBTURATING RING Design Constraint O Maintain flare ability O Similar ballistics FUZE SPRING CLIPS EJECTING PROPELLANT CARTRIDGE FIRING CHARGE CHARGES PIN Approved for Release by TDA 9 EFSS Smoke Ammunition Upgrade IGNITOR LOCKING OBTURATING FUZE BOOSTER BODY SYSTEM RESIN WHITE RING Modifications to Smoke Projectile PHOSPHORUS O Equip with an M767A1 fuze utilizing a PBXN-5 booster O Replace Comp B igniter with PBXN-9 Design Constraint O Maintain obscurant ability WATER O Similar ballistics SPRING CLIPS CARTRIDGE FIRING PIN EJECTING PROPELLANT CHARGE CHARGES Approved for Release by TDA 10 EFSS Container Assembly Upgrade PA117 Vented Container Assembly for HE, Practice, and Illumination rounds O Blow out panels allow pressure release O Foam packaging separates and returns to resin form when heated O Fuze has room to completely detach from projectile with heat and pressure Blowout Panels allow pressure Foam cushions and release from inside sleeves melt and the container separate to prevent insulation of heat 11 EFSS Container Assembly Upgrade PA103A2 Container Assembly for Smoke only O Blow out panel allow pressure release from the bottom of the container O Foam packaging separates and returns to resin form when heated O Smoke projectiles are stored and transported vertically to prevent air gaps in the white phosphorous resulting in poor ballistic performance A Blowout Panel in the bottom of the container allows pressure release 12 Environmental/Durability Qualification Test Plan 45 EFSS rounds of each ammunition type were tested (including vibration and drop testing) ³ High Temp (+160F) ³ Low Temp (-65 F) ³ Low Pressure Altitude ³ Temperature Shock Test facilities included ³ NSWC Dahlgren ³ NSWC Crane ³ Hawthorne 13 Hazard Assessment/Classification Qualification Test Plan Hazard Assessment/Classification Testing (54) 54 EFSS rounds of 28 Day Temp. Inspect, X-ray & Humidity & Fire each ammunition (12) (3) Slow Cook-off type were tested (2) Thermal Stability (1) Transportation Transportation Transportation Vibration Vibration Vibration Testing required to Bullet Impact [-65F] [+70F] [+160F] Combined (2) (3) (3) (3) meet MIL-STD- Sympathetic 2105C, Hazard Detonation/ Stack Test Shipboard Shipboard Shipboard Assessment Tests (8) Fragment Vibration Vibration Vibration Impact [-65F] [+70F] [+160F] (2) for Non-Nuclear Combined (3) (3) (3) Munitions Fast Cook-off/ External Fire (25) Shaped Charge Jet 4 Day Temp. Inspect, X-ray (2) & Humidity & Fire (6) (3) 40Ft Drop Inspect, X-ray (3) & Fire (3) 14 EFSS Qualification Results EFSS AMMUNITION QUALIFICATION STATUS April 16th, 2007 IM TESTS Sympathetic Sympathetic EFSS Round Slow Cook- Fast Cook- Fragment Bullet Detonation Detonation Shape Charge Types Off Off Impact Impact Confined Unconfined Jet HE V IV III V Pass Pass I Illumination V IV III IV Pass Pass Not scheduled Smoke Projectile III III IV Not scheduled III (Mixed Pass (Mixed Pass (Mixed Smoke Tail Pallet) pallet) pallet) Charge Assembly IV III IV Not scheduled Practice V IV III IV Pass Pass Not scheduled IMRB reviewed the EFSS ammunition qualification results O Testing reviewed and results officially scored O Approved for submission for final qualifications 15 EFSS Qualification Conclusion O All qualification testing in accordance with the basic test plan have been completed O Testing conducted at the following locations: ³ NSWC Dahlgren ³ NSWC Crane ³ NSWC Indian Head ³ Hawthorne ³ Eglin AFB O Strategic plan for future improvements being evaluated O IOC scheduled for late September of 2007 16.