MEMS-Enabled Reliable Submunition (MERS)

WP-2331

Objective

Department of Defense (DoD) policy will require the unexploded ordnance (UXO) rate of all submunitions to be less than 1% in 2018. This research will develop micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) Safety and Arming (S&A) fuze technology to contribute to alternative concepts for submunitions that comply with DoD policy and eliminate lead-based materials from fuze components. This will be achieved by implementing design innovations to a baseline metal MEMS S&A, developed at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC), to greatly improve performance margins of functions associated with S&A reliability. This effort will leverage ongoing work for the Joint Services Small Arms (JSSAP) Small Arms Grenade Munition (SAGM) Program and the Cluster Munition Replacement (CMR) Program.

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Technical Approach

The effort will leverage and continue work on ARDEC’s metal MEMS S&A. Activities will include requirements development, reliability improvements of the MEMS hardware, and the elimination of lead from the explosive charges in the MEMS S&A micro-scale firetrain (MSF). ARDEC will investigate the reliability benefits of alternative fire-train initiation techniques, develop more reliable and lead-free explosive inks, and design a significantly more reliable in-plane (non-corner-turning) Charge-2 to Charge-3 transfer geometry to improve the reliability of the MSF in MEMS S&A hardware. Integrating the results from these investigations will improve the reliability of ARDEC’s MEMS S&A MSF and make the MEMS S&A a prime contributor for high-reliability submunition designs.

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Benefits

This effort will produce technology, materials, methods, designs, and hardware that will demonstrate the potential to improve reliability of the metal MEMS S&A as the basis for meeting the less than 1% UXO rate for submunitions, eliminate lead-containing energetics in the MSF, and also improve manufacturability of the MEMS S&A. Employing the MEMS S&A will benefit the Warfighter not only by directly improving reliability, but also by reducing the size of the fuze, which will free up space in munitions products such as submunitions and 40mm grenades. This will allow for additional features that can improve reliability and functionality of the munition; these features include redundant arming devices, firetrains, additional computational components, sensors, and larger lethal mechanisms. The MEMS S&A provides a high reliability solution for improved munition fuze reliability, reduced UXO, and improved safety that can lead to submunition designs that comply with DoD policy. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2016)

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Points of Contact

Principal Investigator

Mr. Charles Robinson

U.S. Army ARDEC

Phone: 973-724-9397

Fax: 973-724-8008

Program Manager

Weapons Systems and Platforms

SERDP and ESTCP

Document Types

  • Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
  • Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
  • Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
  • Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
  • Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
  • Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
  • Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
  • Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
  • Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.