Defense Technology International - June 2008 - (Page 14)

TECH WATCH JORIS JANSSEN LOK fragmentation-projecting IEDs that can be smaller but still have devastatBourges is the center of France. protection systems department. “The ing effects on dismounted personnel It is also the heart of French efforts 2005 incident in Afghanistan sparked a or the occupants of lightly protected to counter the impact of improvised crash program, which led to the devel- vehicles; and the explosively formed explosive devices. Just outside the opment of an add-on protection kit for projectile. This last type, she says, is “extrememedieval city, 800 military and civil- the VBL, some 50 of which were delivly dangerous and powerful against ian staff form the ETBS (Etablisse- ered within a year after the event.” ment Technique de Bourges), the These kits protected against the com- even heavily armored vehicles,” and land weapons and protection tech- bined effects of blast and fragmenta- can appear in single or multiprojecnologies test center of the French tion. The capabilities of ETBS were evi- tile forms. The ETBS has instrumented defense procurement agency DGA, dent in their design. “Part of the tests test facilities for threat characterizawhich is rapidly gearing up to sup- we performed involved the retro-engi- tion studies on all three IED types, port counter-IED programs and pre- neering of a fragmentation IED ﬁlled Munoz adds. with bolts and screws that we tested The labs at Bourges are also used pare for next-generation threats. as a national center of ex“With 800 tests here per p e r t i s e f o r t h e f o re n s i c year, we’re very involved in analysis of conventional and adapting operational syshandmade explosive materitems to the rapidly changing als, in paste, reactive mix or requirements of the battleliquid forms. In this capacity, field,” says Brig. Gen. Yves ETBS works closely with the Caleca, director of the facilFrench interior, defense and ity. transport ministries, and France’s efforts to improve with the police. Detonation counter-IED protection started relatively late, following performance of explosives a fatal October 2005 roadside can also be studied, says Munoz. fragmentation attack against High-speed video (12,000 a French army Panhard VBL images/sec.) and X-ray camlight armored vehicle aseras record explosions and signed to the NATO-led Interthe way fragments are pronational Security Assistance jected (Munoz calls these Force in Afghanistan. “trajectographies”). To study One section of the 30the terminal ballistics of IED km.-long (18.6-mi.) ETBS test charges, the center uses the range is now devoted to cameras before impact, for counter-IED research, includpost-mortem target analysis ing storage areas, workshops and for extensive numerical and laboratories for the fosimulation. rensic assessment of enerThe experts in Bourges have getics used in attacks, says also turned to evaluating the Caleca. vulnerability of vehicle oc“We have an advanced nucupants and equipment to merical simulation capability, IED blasts. To do this, instrubased on Ouranos modeling ETBS engineers examine the damage from mented crash-test dummies software, to study dynamic a fragmentation strike test on Apr. 15. and equipment are placed in high-speed impact effects. This helps us understand the impact in a detonation against a VBL equipped a mobile box, which is subjected to speciﬁcally dimensioned blast inputs of various types of current and future with the protection kit,” she says. “Last year we performed another (acceleration and pressure). Events inIEDs,” he notes. One area of focus is vulnerability crash program focusing on the VAB side and outside the box are recorded assessments of legacy and new com- armored personnel carrier (built by Re- by high-speed digital video. For the VBCI vulnerability trials, bat vehicles. This involves the 4X4 nault Trucks Defense) equipped with a VBL and the new VBCI family of 8X8 remote-control weapon station. We’re a representative vehicle was built infantry ﬁghting vehicles. France has also starting a program to look at the (minus forward and aft wheels to procured more than 1,600 VBL vehi- vulnerability of the new Panhard PVP reduce costs) and subjected to livecles, and is planning to buy 700 VBCI 4X4 light armored vehicle (May DTI, blast IED strikes. I models from Nexter Systems for the p. 17), and to see if it needs better army. protection against attacks.” For details and videos of an IED “IEDs are a rapidly proliferating and Munoz says the French recognize test at Bourges, go to DTI’s weblog, multiform threat,” says Dominique Mu- three types of IEDs: the pure blast variAres, and access May 9 posting: AviationWeek.com/ares noz, who manages the counter-IED and ant, which is typically vehicle-borne; JORIS JANSSEN LOK/DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL DISSECTING IED BLASTS 14 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2008 AviationWeek.com/dti http://AviationWeek.com/ares http://AviationWeek.com/dti

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - June 2008

Defense Technology International - June 2008 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch Basic Black Self-Defense Fire-Resistant Perfezione Hyperspeed Trial Big Sky Cashing In Digital Links Hang Ten Sea Change Programs Update Two Steps Back Direct Hit Staying Power Potent Stinger Do No Harm Guard Duty The Net Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight

Defense Technology International - June 2008

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