ARMY AL&T


SPC Alan Ng (third from left) explained his fi rsthand experience with the importance of IM to Picatinny M768 team members (left to right) Bill Kuhnle, Roger Wong, Scott Faluotico, Marty Moratz, Pam Ferlazzo, John Niles, Jeff Ranu, and Jeff Smith. (Photo courtesy of PM CAS, Picatinny Arsenal.)


develop a single high-explosive fi ll that can replace TNT and Composition-B in 105mm and 155mm artillery projectiles and 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar cartridges. The new fi ll must be at least as effective as the more volatile formulations it will be replacing, even though it will be less sensitive to unplanned stimuli. It must be affordable, producible by the current industrial base, and environmentally friendly. Although these requirements may seem insurmountable, in the past, Picatinny Arsenal personnel have risen to such challenges and passed tests once considered impossible. Always focused on providing effective, safe, and reliable weapons to the warfi ghters they support, their motivation was further enhanced when they heard the aforementioned fi rsthand feedback from “one of the family” on the importance of providing IM.


IM promise to reduce the logistics burden imposed by the requirement for large separation distances between highly volatile munitions, both in transit and in storage.


waivers before new munitions could be materiel released. In 2008, however, the Energetics Branch of PM CAS was nominated for the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award for design and explosive fi ll technology improvements to 155mm artillery projectiles, propellants, and packaging that fi nally passed all six of these diffi cult tests.


The maturation and transition of these technologies were dramatically acceler- ated through the infusion of enabling funds from the Offi ce of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Technology Transition Offi ce. The Technology Transition Initiative (TTI), established by Congress in 2002, “is intended to accelerate the introduction of new tech- nologies into operational capabilities for the armed forces.” The PM CAS/


50 APRIL –JUNE 2010


ARDEC team proposed a new IM TNT-replacement explosive fi ll (called IMX-101) and changes to the M795 projectile to allow pressure relief from the projectile nose. In a highly competi- tive environment, these were selected by OSD and subsequently received TTI funding. These improvements to the projectile, when coupled with the IM features of the M231, M232, and M232A1 propelling charges and con- tainers, would have almost certainly prevented the Camp Doha disaster.


PM CAS and ARDEC are currently working on a Common Low-Cost IM Explosive Program. Along with support from OSD’s TTI, they are leveraging support from the Joint IM Technical Program to accelerate transition of IM solutions to the fi eld. The long- term objective of this program is to


RENE KIEBLER is the Deputy PM for PM CAS. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an M.S. in engineering manage- ment from the Florida Institute of Technology. Kiebler is a graduate of the PM’s Course from Defense Systems Management College and is Level III certifi ed in program management and production, quality, and manufacturing.


PAUL MANZ is Chief of Advanced Systems in PM CAS. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master of public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Manz is Level III certifi ed in program manage- ment; life-cycle logistics; business, cost estimating, and fi nancial management; systems planning, research, development, and engineering (SPRDE)-science and technology manager; and SPRDE- program systems engineer. He is a U.S. Army Acquisition Corps member.


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