Baselining of the
40mm Family
of Ammunition
James Grassi
U.S. ARMY/RDECOM-ARDEC
40mm Grenade Ammunition Special Projects
973-724-5987
jgrassi@[Link]
8 May 2007
AMTEC
Corporation
Overview
8 May 2007
Reason for Baselining
Spark Range Testing
Firing Tables Testing
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
Warheads Testing
System Effectiveness Modeling & Simulation
Benefits & Warfighter Payoff
Reason for Baselining
40mm Family of Ammunition
Low Velocity M203 GL & XM320 GL
High Velocity Mk19 GMG
Why Baseline?
Establish robust ballistic & warhead performance database
Improve engineering capability
Production Support
Ammo-Weapon Interface Issues
Producibility Enhancements & Technology Upgrades
Objective Provide the Warfighter Superior Capability
8 May 2007
Improve support to the User
Identify strengths and weaknesses of system
Enhance design, performance, reliability, quality & availability
3
Spark Range Testing
Spark Shadowgraph Range
ARL Spark Shadowgraph Range
6-DOF motion models used to
reduce data.
8 May 2007
Orthogonal cameras placed at fixed
intervals along trajectory
Photographs positional and angular
orientation of the projectile
A spark provides back lighting &
shadow
Provides aero coefficients, stability
parameters and other characteristics
Parameters needed for projectile
design, diagnostic studies and
corrected aeroballistic models
M385A1 TP Spark Shadowgraph
Spark Range Testing
Previous 40mm spark range
testing performed on high
velocity cartridges
8 May 2007
BRL-MR-3788 Aero
Characteristics of 40mm
Ammo for the Mk19 GMG,
Robert McCoy & Andre Sowa,
November 1989
M384 & M385 no longer in
service
M430 now M430A1 and
M385E4 now M385A1
M430 HEDP
M385E4 TP
M385 TP
M384 HE
5
Spark Range Testing
Perform Spark Range Testing at ARL and Eglin
AFB on both Low & High Velocity projectiles
8 May 2007
M433 HEDP (M203 GL) - Complete
M781 TP (M203 GL) - Complete
M430A1 HEDP (Mk19 GMG) Firing Now
M918 TP (Mk19 GMG) To Be Fired
M385A1 TP (Mk19 GMG) - Complete
Low Velocity testing with both 12 & 9 M203 GL
barrels
6
Spark Range Testing
M385A1 TP (High Velocity)
8 May 2007
Large gyroscopic stability factor (>4 vs. >1.8)
Weak pitch damping coefficient
Spark Range Testing
M781 TP (Low Velocity)
8 May 2007
Large gyroscopic stability factor (>6 vs. >1.8)
Weak pitch damping coefficient
Small Transverse Moment of Inertia
Spark Range Testing
M433 HEDP (Low Velocity)
8 May 2007
Weak pitch damping coefficient
Very high pitch/yaw angle at muzzle exit resulting in
high drag (up to 14 degrees!)
Adhesive on boattail affects flight in random manner
Spark Range Testing
8 May 2007
10
Spark Range Testing
8 May 2007
11
Spark Range Testing
Testing yielded validated PRODAS models for
flight simulation
Projectiles will not damp out initial pitch/yaw
8 May 2007
Must minimize influences on projectile
Mitigate or eliminate adhesive on M433 HEDP boattail
Flexure of M203 GL and host weapon impact projectile
exit (jump)
12
Firing Tables Testing
Testing performed by ARDEC Firing Tables
Team at Aberdeen Test Center
Firing M433 HEDP & M781 TP cartridges from
M203 GL (both 12 & 9 barrels) & XM320 GL.
Testing performed:
8 May 2007
Physical Characteristics of Ammunition - Completed
Muzzle Velocity vs. Propellant Temp Test - Completed
Ballistic Match & Firing Tables Test - Completed
Maximum Range Aeroballistic Test - Completed
Maximum Trail Quadrant Elevation Test - Completed
13
Firing Tables Testing
Ballistic Match, Firing Tables & Max Range Tests
8 May 2007
Firing Tables & Unit Effects Tables available for both
M433 HEDP & M781 TP in the 12 & 9 M203 GL and
XM320 GL
M781 TP considered ballistically matched to the M433
HEDP out to 300 meters
14
Firing Tables Testing
Shorter barrel lengths do reduce muzzle velocity,
but temperature change have minor effect
Currently planning for High Velocity Firing
Tables Test with M430A1 HEDP & M918 TP
8 May 2007
Ballistic Match & Firing Tables
Maximum Range
Sight Accuracy
15
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
EPVAT - Electronic Pressure, Velocity & Action
Time is scarce for 40mm Grenade Ammo
Fired Low Velocity EPVAT from Mann barrel &
soft recovered projectiles
8 May 2007
High Velocity P-t data from Mk19 during development
HV action time taken from M129 GMG during LAT
No Low Velocity data on record
No established method for EPVAT testing during
production or development
Mann barrel designed by ARDEC & fabricated by Colt
Test ammo fabricated from production hardware
16
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
ARDEC 40mm Low Velocity
Mann Barrel Assembly
8 May 2007
17
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
Low Velocity Pressure Port
& Cartridge Case Diagram
M433/M118
M583A1/M195
M781/M212
M118 & M212 Case Mouth Port
M118 & M212 Mid-Case Port
M195 Case Mouth Port
M195 Low Mid-Case Port
(not shown other side of breech)
8 May 2007
18
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
o
M433 Case Mouth & Mid-Case Ports at 70 F
Pressure VS Time
3500
3000
Mid-Case Data
2500
Test 2 CM
Test 3 CM
Test 4 CM
Test 5 CM
Test 2 MC
Test 3 MC
Test 4 MC
Test 5 MC
Pressure (psi)
2000
1500
Case Mouth Data
1000
500
0
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
-500
8 May 2007
Time (us)
19
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
Used high speed digital video to capture action
time & muzzle velocity
Action time is from plunger stop to complete
projectile exit
Mann Barrel Firing of 40mm M433 HEDP Projectile
8 May 2007
20
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
Poor engraving on all cartridges
Residual adhesive on M433 HEDP & M781 TP
Residual Adhesive
M433 HEDP
No Evidence of
Contact with
Rifling Groove
8 May 2007
Cold
(-65F)
Hot
(+165F)
Ambient
(+70F)
21
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
Recorded Case Mouth & Mid-Case P-t data at hot,
cold & ambient temperatures for all cartridges
M433 HEDP, M583A1 Whitestar Parachute & M781 TP
Measured Case Mouth & Mid-Case simultaneously on
M433 HEDP at Hot, Cold & Ambient with no
noticeable difference versus single port measurement
Residual adhesive on boat tail is irregular shaped
Poor rotating band engraving yields blow-by
8 May 2007
Bad for Flight
Bad Efficiency + Muzzle Exit Influence
22
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
High Velocity EPVAT planned for July/Aug 2007
Currently fabricating High Velocity Mann Barrels
& redesigned Breech Assembly
8 May 2007
Breech to be used on both HV & LV Mann Barrels
Plan to fabricate Low Velocity Mann Barrels that accept
redesigned breech
23
EPVAT with Soft Recovery
40mm High Velocity Mann Barrel &
Redesign Breech Assembly
Pressure Port
Mk19 Muzzle Brake
Action Time
Start Sensor
Hammer
Release
Solenoid
Firing Pin Safety
8 May 2007
24
Warhead Testing
Testing performed by ARDEC Warhead Branch
Characterize fragmentation & shaped charge
penetration performance
Typical LATs test for penetration, but do not test
for fragmentation performance
Results run through CASRED for Probability of
Incapacitation
8 May 2007
M433 HEDP Completed
M430A1 HEDP Completed
Compared to historical data on file
25
Warhead Testing
Penetration Performance Characterization
No-Spin Fixture
Penetrated RHA
X-Ray of Jet
Formation
Spin Fixture
Orthogonal
X-Ray Film
Packs
8 May 2007
Fiber Optic Spin
Rate Pickup
26
Warhead Testing
Fragmentation Performance Characterization
Separation
Apparatus
Detonation
Chamber
Vacuum
8 May 2007
Projectile in
Balloon in
Saw Dust
Ferrous
Non-Ferrous
27
Warhead Testing
Fragmentation Performance Characterization
M433 HEDP
X-Ray of Fragmentation
Fragment Recovery
M430A1 HEDP
8 May 2007
28
Warhead Testing
Testing showed no change in lethality from
historical data
Improvement in penetration is easily achievable
Exhibited good fragmentation break-up
Fragmentation effects can be improved
Modeled & simulated shaped charge &
fragmentation performance
8 May 2007
Validated by testing
29
System Effectiveness M&S
Model the collection of system parameters &
errors in order to run them through a Monte Carlo
type simulation
8 May 2007
Output is Probability of Hit & Probability of
Incapacitation given a Hit
Study applied to M433 HEDP & M430A1 HEDP
Intent is to determine improvements with highest
return on investment
30
Benefits & Warfighter Payoff
Benefits
Warfighter Payoff
8 May 2007
Robust ballistic & warhead performance database
Manage risk by proactively resolving problems
Solid basis for determining improvements with highest
return on investment
Ensuring a superior product that is reliable & safe
Improved ballistic & lethal performance
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