Live fire testing: assessing blunt impact and acceleration injury vulnerabilities.

Area of Science:

• Military Engineering
• Trauma Research
• System Vulnerability Assessment

Background:

• The Joint Services Live Fire Testing Program (JSLFTEP) evaluates weapon effects on U.S. systems and crew.
• Advancements in munitions necessitate improved scientific methods for casualty estimation.
• Current capabilities for assessing blunt impact and acceleration injuries in live fire tests require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the U.S. capability to conduct credible crew casualty assessments in live fire tests.
• To identify potential live fire threats, injury mechanisms, and performance criteria.
• To develop a strategy for enhancing U.S. injury risk assessment capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A 2-day Department of Defense workshop was convened.
• The workshop identified threats, injury mechanisms, data needs, and analysis requirements.
• Discussions focused on using crew casualty data in system evaluations and risk assessments.

Main Results:

• The study highlights the need for improved scientific methods in live fire testing.
• Existing data bases and instrumentation requirements were reviewed.
• Potential live fire threats and injury mechanisms were identified.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need to improve the scientific capability for estimating weapon system effects on humans.
• Enhanced crew casualty assessment is vital for accurate risk assessment and system evaluation.
• A strategic approach is required to advance the U.S. capability in assessing combat injury risks.