L-045 IM TESTING Volume IV: Group Reports of Phase II of the NIMIC IM Testing Workshop held 17-21 November 1997 at DSTO, Adelaide, Australia

During the last 5 years NIMIC has organised a series of Workshops for its nations on IM threat stimuli. These workshops have covered Bullet/Fragment Impact, Cookoff (Slow and Fast), Sympathetic Reaction and Shaped Charge Jet Impingement. A general conclusion of all these workshops was that there are deficiencies in the current test methods assigned to measure IM characteristics. As a result of these testing limitations and coupled with the recent drafting of AOP-39 giving guidance on the methodology for IM testing, NIMIC held a Workshop during 1997 on IM Testing. The aim of the workshop being "to write guidance on full-scale IM testing in order to improve confidence in and achieve international acceptability and broader applicability of test results".

Since this Workshop was to cover a wide range of issues and address the stimuli associated with shock, impact and thermal effects, the workshop was split into 2 phases. Phase 1 addressed the full-scale test procedures for Slow and Fast Heating and Sympathetic Reaction and took place at NATO HQ during 20 - 23 May 1997. Phase 2 addressed the fullscale test procedures for Bullet Impact, Fragment Impact, Spall and Shaped Charge Jet Impact and took place at Adelaide during 17-21 November 1997.

Phase 2 of the workshops was attended by approximately 75 participants from 8 of the NIMIC nations (Australia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom and United States of America), including observers from Denmark. The participants from government and industrial organisations represented a wide span of experience ranging from those involved in formulating IM policy and safety and suitability assessment, to those involved in research, planning and detailed testing.