Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference
San Francisco, CA
Development of a Bomb Suit Standard
November 06, 2007
UNCLASSIFIED
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
David Colanto
Ballistics
Team
Development
of Technology
a Bomb Suit
Standard
US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center
(508)233-5472
David.Colanto@us.army.mil
UNCLASSIFIED
Bomb Suit Standard
Program Objective:
•
Draft a Bomb Suit Standard that provides test
methods and performance requirements for
evaluating EOD PPE
Key research areas:
•
Blast Overpressure (BOP)
•
Fragmentation
•
Impact
•
Flame
•
Optics
•
Ergonomics
•
•
•
•
•
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Accomplishments:
Threat analysis and literature
survey
NBSCAB interaction and
guidance
Laboratory Testing: Blast, frag,
flame, impact, optics
Ergonomic Evaluation
User and industry workshops
Deliverables:
• Draft EOD PPE standard
• EOD PPE purchasing guide
and video
• Supporting documentation
and test reports
Benefits
•
Provide defined performance
requirements.
•
Encourage vendors to market
compliant products.
•
Streamline procurements with
certified systems.
UNCLASSIFIED
Sponsors
&
Supporters
Customer Information:
• DHS-S&T, Standards
• NIST-OLES
• DOJ-NIJ
Execution Partners:
• Natick Soldier RD&E Center
• PM Soldier Survivability
• NBSCAB
• University of Virginia
• Biokinetics
• ATC
• ARL
• NAVAIR
• USAARL
• MA State Police
• Hazardous Devices School
UVa
Center for
Applied
Biomechanics
UNCLASSIFIED
EOD Threat Analysis
• Literature Search
– ATF/FBI Databases
– ARA, URI (TSWG), AFRL
(DOJ)
– User Surveys of Law
Enforcement EOD “what” the
threat and “how” situated
• NBSCAB agreement for the
threat profile
• Live fire testing (ARL)
– Fragmentation
– Blast overpressure
– Bomb Suit testing
• Result: Wide range of threats,
most prevalent threat is pipe
bomb for law enforcement
UNCLASSIFIED
Pipe Bomb Deflagration
High speed video (50,000 frames per second)
UNCLASSIFIED
Fragmentation
• Tasks Completed
– Threat Analysis at ARL
– Laboratory ballistic testing of
shoot packs
– Fragmentation Modeling
• Test method
– Laboratory ballistic testing
– V50 testing using FSPs
– Bomb Suit surrogate
shootpacks
UNCLASSIFIED
Blast Overpressure
• Tasks Completed
– Threat Analysis at ARL
– Live fire testing of Bomb Suits at
ATC
– Shock Tube testing at UVA
– UVA Center for Applied
Biomechanics developed a
recommended test method
• Test method
– Instrumented Hybrid III surrogate
– Shock Tube testing (preliminary
component head/torso tests)
– Explosive testing (final system
test)
– Criteria: Blast/blunt Thoracic &
Head, Blunt Neck
UNCLASSIFIED
Impact
• Tasks Completed
– Threat Analysis with UVA and
Biokinetics
– Bomb Suit system testing at
Biokinetics, UVA, and
NSRDEC
• Test method
– Laboratory impact testing of
helmet and spine protector
UNCLASSIFIED
Flame
• Tasks Completed
– Threat Analysis and
Literature search
– Flame testing of Bomb
Suit components and
materials
• Test method
– Laboratory flame testing
of Bomb Suit outer shell
materials
• Vertical flame test
UNCLASSIFIED
Optics
• Tasks Completed
– Benchmarking of Bomb Suit visors
with MA State Police EOD
technicians
– Bomb Suit visor optical testing at
USAARL and NAVAIR
• Test method
– Laboratory optical testing of visor
•
•
•
•
•
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Distortion
Luminous Transmittance
Refractive Power
Prismatic Deviation
Haze
Anti-fogging test
UNCLASSIFIED
Ergonomics
• Tasks Completed
– Benchmarking of EOD PPE
systems
– Created a Purchasing Guide
Video
• Test method
– Laboratory ergonomic testing
EOD PPE systems:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Donning/doffing
Emergency doffing
Body mobility
Coin Recovery
Lay on back and stand up
Test Course (climbing stairs, ladder,
disruptor placement…etc)
• Dynamic/static field of view
UNCLASSIFIED
Bomb Suits Evaluated
UNCLASSIFIED
Draft Bomb Suit Standard
Status
• Finish 2 deliverables in Nov 07
– Recommendations for the Bomb Suit Standard
– Draft Bomb Suit Standard
• Finalized revisions of all supporting test
reports and documentation
• Next step: Standards Development
Organization (SDO) will use the data package
to initiate the SDO's promulgation and
standard validation process
UNCLASSIFIED
Questions?
David.Colanto@us.army.mil
UNCLASSIFIED