DEVELOPMENT OF A STANDARDIZED PROJECTILE FOR KENLW

Abstract

The NATO STANREC 4744 outlines test methodologies for assessing kinetic energy nonlethal weapons (KENLW). The current validation process uses a commercially available projectile, but it has drawbacks: relatively high cost, limited availability in the USA and Canada, and lack of control over the projectile's consistency. To address these issues, a standardized Non-Lethal Bullet Simulating Projectile is proposed. Three candidates are considered: foam top and plastic body (FDM 3D printing), fully resin (SLA 3D printing) and fully plastic (FDM 3D printing). The goal is to identify a candidate that ensures availability, reproducibility, and repeatability for validating and calibrating surrogates. The selected solution will be tested on current surrogates to ensure that it meets these requirements.