UNCLASSIFIED

Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference

San Francisco, CA

Development of a Bomb Suit Standard

November 06, 2007

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

UNCLASSIFIED

Development of a Bomb Suit Standard

David ColantoBallistics Technology Team

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

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.

• Accomplishments:

• Threat analysis and literature survey

• NBSCAB interaction and guidance

• Laboratory Testing: Blast, frag, flame, impact, optics

• Ergonomic Evaluation

• User and industry workshops

UNCLASSIFIED

                      

Sponsors & SupportersSponsors & Supporters

UVa Center forApplied Biomechanics

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

Customer Information: • DHS-S&T, Standards• NIST-OLES• DOJ-NIJ

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

High speed video (50,000 frames per second)

Pipe Bomb DeflagrationPipe Bomb Deflagration

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

• 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?Questions?

David.Colanto@us.army.mil