Logistics Research and Development
Logistics research and development experts at Picatinny provide a single focus for
managing improvements to the total ammunition logistics systems, an area that
encompasses ammunition and missile asset management. Today, there are six major
thrust areas including battlefield rearm, logistics command/control/communications,
logistics analysis, combat service support, packaging, and explosives safety and
insensitive munitions. In each of these areas, Picatinny develops or integrates state-of-
the-art logistics enhancements to get ammunition to the soldier at the right time, in the
right place, safely, securely, at the right cost, and in good conditions, anywhere in the
world, at any time of the year under the most demanding delivery conditions. No
conventional commercial products could withstand such extremes.
Battlefield Rearm
The goal of this thrust area is to develop technologies to improve the "rearming" or
"reloading" of munitions onto weapons platforms making it more like an "Indy 500" pit
stop. Picatinny provides systems integration and management of material and process
improvements to enhance ammunition rearm for artillery, armor, infantry, aviation,
engineer/mine warfare and air defense artillery mission areas. This includes the
development of automated rearm systems for weapon platforms like the Future Combat
Systems Multi-Role Armament and Ammunition System planned as part of the Armys
transformation effort.
Logistics Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4)
The goal of the Logistics C4 thrust is to develop information technologies to keep track
of munitions quantity, location and "health". To accomplish this, Picatinny manages the
development and integration of micro-electronic prognostic and diagnostic sensors that
can be embedded in munitions to record environmental conditions and enable remote
assessments of the health of munitions throughout the logistics system.
Logistics Analysis
The goal of the logistics analysis thrust is to manage the modeling and simulation "what-
if" analysis effort to quantify the logistics impact of proposed changes to ammunition
logistics material, tactics, techniques and procedures. The objective is to provide
armament and munitions developers with "real-time" analysis of the logistics impact of
their items. Picatinny logistics experts are working on a modeling effort that uses a
systems approach to analyze the distribution system for ammunition. It emphasizes
trading off alternative solutions to efficiency and effectiveness of the choices based on
clear information. Picatinny will use modeling and simulation as a prototyping
mechanism to determine the potential benefits of a new or improved process or system.
To quantify these improvements, the existing systemÕs baseline must be understood
clearly, with all human machine and material interactions completely defined and
measured.
Combat Service Support
The goal of this thrust area is to manage material and process improvements to material
handling equipment, transportation systems, munitions containerization, munitions
storage and airdrop systems to improve strategic, operational and tactical ammunition
distribution. Picatinny is involved with many aspects of combat service support. They
are integral to the development of a Smart Distribution System for the future force;
established the Airdrop Certification Program so that items could be certified for airdrop
during combat; enhanced the Palletized Loading System (PLS), are developing the
Enhanced Delivery System - Air (EDS-A); and, maintain an active membership in the
Containerized Ammunition Missile Distribution Executive Group (CAMDEG).
Munitions Packaging
As the Army transforms itself to a lighter, quicker and more easily deployable force,
ammunition packaging will become increasingly important. This thrust area
demonstrates technologies that enhance munitions packing for both ammunition and
missiles including requirements that they be cushioned from harm, protected from water,
temperature extremes and dropping, maintain a three pounds per square inch (psi)
pressure differential, and do all these things while stored for 20 years in protected space
and at least two years in the open. When used, the ammunition must work like new and
function as intended. The logistics experts at Picatinny focused on incorporating new
technologies to solve some of the intrinsic problems in the shipment and storage of
ammunition such as reducing the weight and cube of packaging, reducing battlefield
debris caused by packaging, providing safer storage of high explosives and propellants,
easing Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) decontamination, providing faster and
easier access to packaged ammunition and enhancing moisture and corrosion protection.
Explosives Safety and Insensitive Munitions
The goal of the explosives safety and insensitive munitions thrust is to improve the safety
and survivability of U.S. Army munitions. To accomplish this, Picatinny logistics
experts manage explosives safety projects to develop and demonstrate fixes to reduce the
explosive hazards posed by munitions throughout the total Army ammunition logistics
system. Picatinny also manages the Army Insensitive Munition (IM) Program, and the
Research and Development Army IM Improvement Program and serves as the principle
Army representative to the Joint Service Insensitive Munitions Technical Panel and
representative to DoDÕs IM-integrated product team and NATO IM activities.
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