Presentation to Twenty Sixth DOD Explosives Safety Seminar

We report on the development of standoff Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operations with ballistic discs where safety and the minimisation of environmental impact of the explosive effects are of prime importance. Ballistic discs were selected since they can be designed to contain relatively small amounts of explosive (i.e. less than 100g) and low density case materials to minimise overpressure, fragmentation and site damage. Two EOD methods were investigated. One method was aimed at neutralising the munition fuze while leaving the body and filling intact. The other method was aimed at opening the munition case and producing a slow burn of the filling in a single operation. Our methodology involved evaluating ballistic disc designs using numerical modelling and instrumented firings. Short listed candidates were field tested against 105mm HE shell and 81mm mortars (representing thick and thin cased munitions). A ballistic disc design was produced that had 100 % success in neutralising the fuze and ejecting it from the munition case providing the aim position was away from the booster. Flash radiography showed that the fuze train was disrupted in less then 50µs and the projectil