Criteria for Selecting Less Sensitive High Explosives to Mitigate Fragment Impact Response

In accordance with MIL-STD-2105D, the United States Army is developing less sensitive explosive and Particle Impact Mitigation Sleeve (PIMS) upgrades to warhead configurations in order to mitigate Fragment Impact (FI) response while maintaining warhead performance. Shock sensitivity as measured by Large Scale Gap Test (LSGT) is often used as a criterion to select explosives for improved munition FI response. This paper discusses recent LSGT and FI testing, utilizing different particle size distribution of LX-14 and PBXN-9 in various anti-armor warhead (AAW) configurations. Results suggest that LSGT alone is not an adequate predictor of FI response, thus requiring an exploration of alternative methods. One methodology of interest, the Small Scale Fragment Attack (SSFA) test, is analyzed herein through a case study as a potential supplement to LSGT.