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Highlights • A bore-center annular shaped charge was proposed and validated to improve the penetration diameter and depth of the annular shaped charge on hard targets. • An X-ray experiment was conducted to validate the reliability of numerical results. • The influence of liner configurations on radial and axial velocity of bore-center annular shaped charges was investigated. • The penetrating performance of the different bore-center annular shaped charges were evaluated in terms of size of penetration hole diameter and depth. Abstract The classical shaped charges are well known for their capability to yield a small ratio of the hole diameter to charge diameter in metallic targets. However, in specific situations, for instance the follow-through charge of tandem warheads and the fast establishment of a rapid rescue channel, the ratio of the hole diameter to charge diameter of 1:1 is demanded that cannot be achieved by normal shaped charges. To improve the penetration diameter and depth of the annular shaped charge on hard targets, in this work, a bore-center annular shaped charge (BCASC) is proposed and validated. An X-ray experiment is conducted to validate the reliability of numerical results. The maximal deviation of the head and tail diameters, length, axial and radial velocity of the BCASC projectiles at different times, between the simulation and X-ray experimental results, is only 4.9%. The numerical simulation results of penetrating into steel targets are also compared with the terminal ballistic performance including the diameter and depth of the penetration boreholes. Furthermore, based on the validated numerical models and the corresponding parameters, a series of numerical simulations are performed to investigate the influence of liner configurations (the radial distance (f) of circle centers, the thickness (b) of upper wall, the diameter (d) of center bore and the location of maximal wall thickness (θ)) on radial and axial velocity of BCASCs. Then, a series of BCASC penetration tests on steel targets are conducted. By assessing the penetration hole diameter and depth, the influences the key parameters on the target damage are numerically and experimentally discussed. The results indicate that, compared with other liner parameters (f, b, d), the location where the maximal wall thickness (θ) is placed has the most significant effect on both the radial and axial velocity of the projectile. As the value of θ increases, the radial velocity of the projectile head decreases, while the axial velocity of the projectile head increases. BCASCs with different parameter values can all penetrate into the steel targets and form annular bullet hole at a certain penetration depth. Within our research scope, the θ values imposes more influence on the penetration hole diameter and the depth. As the value of θ increases, a penetration hole diameter decreases, while penetration depth increases gradually. At θ = 30°, the minimal distance between the outer wall of the penetration access is 0.92 D (D indicates the charge diameter), and the mean value of the penetration access depth is 0.56 D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focal point in this study analyzing the change of Turkey-Syria relations during the Arab Spring is the agent-structure problem. The change that took place in Turkey-Syria relations is analyzed in the light of "the beginning of the demonstrations in Daraa and the Siege of Hama", "shooting down of Turkish RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft", "violation of rules of engagement", and "Operation Euphrates Shield" in the framework of Dynamic Foreign Policy Analysis Model (DFPAM) developed by Carlsnaes based on Margaret Archer's Morphogenetic Approach. It is concluded that Turkey's Syria policy changed in the process as a result of the interaction with the "structure" and that these foreign policy actions led to a new structuring at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a method for assessing the hit probability for stationary shooting targets as a function of the projectile horizontal range (PHR), the target type and the point of aim (POA) location. The proposed procedure consists of three blocks. Block I is devoted to the double integral formula taking into account changes in the point of impact (POI) location as a function of the PHR. The characteristics of bullet accuracy and precision versus the PHR are determined in block II. The basis of blocks I and II is the bi-variate uncorrelated Laplace-Gauss probability distribution. The functions of the POI location (ordinate/abscissa) versus the PHR and the functions of the characteristics of the bullet dispersion versus the PHR are represented in the form of polynomials. The description of the target silhouette contour is given in block III. Mathematically, the target contour is a piecewise function which defines the upper and lower edges of the shooting target and it also represents the limit for the double integral formula of block I. The proposed method is built on a modular basis and allows a user to change types of weapons and shooting targets. For demo calculations, the accuracy and precision characteristics of the 5.45×39 Kalashnikov assault rifle model MPi AK-74N were selected. Five types of Swiss military targets imitating an OPFOR combatant's silhouette were used as shooting targets. For illustrating the operability of the proposed method, the hit probabilities for the K, H, G, F, and E shooting targets were evaluated for the PHR from 50 to 400 m. All computations are implemented in the PTC Mathcad v.15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Article confronts one of the most difficult and contested questions in the debate about targeted killing that has raged in academic and policy circles over the last decade. Suppose that, in wartime, the target of a military strike may readily be neutralized through nonlethal means such as capture. Do the attacking forces have an obligation to pursue that nonlethal alternative? The Article defends the duty to employ less restrictive means ("LRM") in wartime, and it advances several novel arguments in defense of that obligation. In contrast to those who look to external restraints--such as those imposed by international human rights law, U.S. constitutional law, or, indeed, the laws of war themselves--to check the operation of military necessity, I argue that the most plausible LRM obligation exists as a limitation embedded within the necessity principle itself. Indeed, the principle of military necessity supports not one, but two, related LRM restraints. The first restraint--virtually ignored yet highly relevant to contemporary debates--is a right reason requirement: it prohibits the killing of combatants for reasons unrelated to the pursuit of military advantage. Specifically, the necessity principle does not permit a preference for lethal force over capture when that preference is driven by considerations such as retributive justice, a desire to avoid due process obligations relating to capture and trial, raising morale, and diplomatic sensitivities. The second restraint--more familiar to the debate yet still deserving of further exploration--is objective in nature. It demands that lethal force benefit from a cognizable expectation of military advantage. The Article develops and defends these claims, engages both contrary and complementary viewpoints, and anticipates objections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'military shooter' (MS) video game is the latest in a long line of video games that immerse the player in a fantasy world. Although the MS video game was once regarded as excessively violent, it has now become socially acceptable, as the virtues of military life have become incorporated in popular culture. That transition has taken place in part because the military has begun to work closely with the producers of MS video games, such as the 'Call of Duty' series, to imagine and prepare for future military threats, both on virtual battlefields and on actual terrain. The increasing use of highly paid corporate mercenaries in actual war zones has also influenced game play by introducing players to the potential for large financial rewards by becoming experts in virtual combat. Thus, MS video games incorporate players not only into the technological domain of modern warfare but also into the economic domain of fighting war for profit. In the post 9/11 era, warfare has increasingly become a strategy of risk management, in which the battlefield is less a physical space than a semiotic landscape of conflicting loyalties and financial incentives. The MS shooter game is conditioning the soldiers of the future to fight in this shadowy world that lies between the virtual and the real. All of these changes have political ramifications. In the long run, constant exposure to these games is creating a subculture that is not only immersed in an armament culture but also increasingly allied with current patterns of geopolitical domination and subordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrates a methodology to analyze small time deformations in conico-cylindrical, multi-material projectile containing explosive material during sub-ordnance velocity impact with the semi-infinite target as hard soil. A 3-Dimensional computational model is developed and analysed using explicit analysis in ANSYS AUTODYN Hydrocode for the Lagrangian domain. The problem was studied for two extreme cases by varying the angle of impact between 0 0 -15 0 . Deformation and stress propagation patterns are studied in the projectile structure for impact with various targets like sand, concrete, and hard soil. To simulate this millisecond impact phenomenon, Mie-Gruneisen Shock-EOS was selected, strength model for the plastic deformation in ductile materials of the projectile was defined by Johnson –Cook Model and failure criteria defined for failure strain by J-C damage model. To define target as semi-infinite hard soil, compaction model was chosen. Pressure and energy variation with time at different points were observed and analysed for a critical condition for initiation of the explosion. This paper exhibits 3-D impact simulation methodology where deformation in projectile and target both considered for sub-ordnance velocity range impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of heat treatment on mechanical properties and ballistic resistance of AA-7017 aluminium alloy plates has been investigated. The stress-strain behaviour of AA-7017 plates subjected to different heat treatment schedules namely under-aging, peak aging and over-aging, is evaluated from quasi-static tension tests. The heat-treated plates display large differences in static mechanical properties in terms of strength and ductility. The peak-aged plate shows the highest strength and hardness followed by the under-aged and over-aged materials. The ballistic resistance of these plates are evaluated by impacting deformable projectiles at a velocity of 830±10 m/s at a normal angle of attack. The peak-aged plate exhibits the best ballistic penetration resistance. The changes in the mechanical properties with different heat treatments have been correlated with ballistic performance of the AA-7017 alloy. Both the post ballistic micro-structural observations and micro-hardness measurements adjacent to the impacted crater walls have been carried out to understand the change in material deformation behaviour with heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on administrative inquiry process of Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Inquiry Officer Inquiry (IOI) of shooting by soldiers. It mentions civilian scrutiny and integration will improve military accountability, operational effectiveness, reduce litigation risk and lessen pain, cost and loss for families of deceased members. It also mentions civil legal norms or structures apply to the military as a consideration of civil–military relations (CMR).

The purpose of this research is to use the released energy of the liquid carbon dioxide for the PET bottle to burst, which can simulate safely and cheaply the combat sound effects. This article deals with the mathematical modelling of the problem, which is the base for the design of this device that would simulate the sound effects of the RPG-7 launching and that can be used for the RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher in combat shooting training. The prototype of this device has been extensively tested and has shown to be suitable for military use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes maneuvering capabilities of fighter aircraft in order to determine proper maneuvers with regard to full utilization of their tactical and technical capabilities during air target interception. Initial presumptions for mathematical model build-up are mentioned, as well as development diagram and results with graphical outputs, which show the possibilities of a successful engagement under given conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bioavailability and bioaccessibility determine the level of metal toxicity in the soils. Inorganic soil amendments may decrease metal bioavailability and enhance soil quality. This study used mussel shell, cow bone, and biochar to reduce lead (Pb) toxicity in the highly contaminated military shooting range soil in Korea. Water-soluble and 1-M ammonium nitrate extractions, and a modified physiologically based extraction test (PBET) were performed to determine Pb bioavailability and bioaccessibility in the soil, respectively. Active C in the soil was also measured to evaluate the effects of the amendments on biological soil quality. The Pb contaminated soil was diluted in serial with uncontaminated soil for the bioassays. Seed germination and root elongation tests using lettuce (Lactuca sativa) showed increases in germination percentage and root length in soil treated with the amendments. Biochar was most effective and increased seed germination by 360% and root length by 189% compared to the unamended soil. Up to 20% soil dilution resulted in more than 50% seed germination. Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of Pb in the soils were decreased by 92.5% and 48.5% with mussel shell, by 84.8% and 34.5% with cow bone, and by 75.8% and 12.5% with biochar, respectively, compared to the unamended soil. We found that the Pb availability in the military shooting range soil can be reduced effectively by the tested amendments or soil dilution alternately, thereby decreasing the risk of ecotoxicity. Furthermore, the increasing active C from the amendments revitalized the soil contaminated with Pb. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In military outdoor shooting training, with safety measures enforced, the risk of a permanent, noise-induced hearing loss is very small. But urban warfare training performed indoors, with reflections from walls, might increase the risk. A question is whether antioxidants can reduce the negative effects of noise on human hearing as it does on research animals. Hearing tests were performed on a control group of 23 military officers before and after a shooting session in a bunker-like room. The experiments were repeated on another group of 11 officers with peroral administration of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), directly after the shooting. The measurements performed were tone thresholds; transientevoked otoacoustic emissions, with and without contralateral noise; and psycho acoustical modulation transfer function (PMTF), thresholds for brief tones in modulated noise. Effects from shooting on hearing thresholds were small, but threshold behavior supports use of NAC treatment. On the PMTF, shooting without NAC gave strong effects. Those effects were like those from continuous noise, which means that strict safety measures should be enforced. The most striking finding was that the non-linearity of the cochlea, that was strongly reduced in the group without NAC, as manifested by the PMTF-results, was practically unchanged in the NAC-group throughout the study. NAC treatment directly after shooting in a bunkerlike room seems to give some protection of the cochlea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports a field study on noise annoyance from military shooting with small, midsize, and heavy weapons that was carried out among 1002 residents living near eight different training grounds of the Swiss army. The goal of the study was to derive the exposure-annoyance relationship for military shooting noise in communities in the vicinity of average military training grounds. Annoyance was determined in a telephone survey by means of the 5-point verbal and 11-point numerical annoyance scale recommended by the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise. Exposure was calculated using acoustical source models of weapons and numbers of shots fired, as recorded by the army. Annoyance predictor variables investigated were LAE, LCE, LCE-LAE, number of shots above threshold, as well as individual moderators. Exposure-annoyance relationships were modeled by means of linear and logistic regression analyses. The sound exposure level LE of shooting noise better explained variations in annoyance than other operational and/or acoustical predictors. Annoyance on the 5-point scale was more closely related to noise exposure than expressed on the 11-point scale. The inclusion of the C-A frequency weighting difference as a second explaining variable, as suggested earlier, did not substantially enhance the predictability of high annoyance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active electromagnetic (EM) armor is a new type of active defense system, which can intercept invading objects effectively. When hit by interception projectiles, the invading object will deviate from its trajectory or be destroyed totally. A steerable EM launcher system using two separate pancake coils is introduced in this paper, and its 3-D model is built. With finite element analysis code, acceleration process of the interception projectile is simulated, and laws of acceleration force acting on the projectile, its velocity, and displacement versus time are also investigated. Experimental installation is introduced, and experimental data are well matched with simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with experiments and calculations performed in order to investigate the influence of the electromagnetic hardening of payloads in a railgun. This is a complex task: besides the large amplitudes of the in-bore magnetic fields due to the pulsed current, the exit of the projectile from the muzzle and the consequences of plasma arcs have to be considered. At the muzzle the magnetic induction can drop from several Teslas to zero within some microseconds, leading to very high induced voltages and electric fields in the metallic parts of the projectile. On the other hand, the electric contact established by solid armatures tends to develop into electric arcs at high velocities during the launch. These plasma arcs as well as the closing switch transients of the railgun circuit are a source of electromagnetic radiation in a broad spectral range. Some electronic devices were selected and tested with static setups corresponding to the previous conditions. In a first phase a series of static railgun experiments (no projectile movement) was performed. In a second phase, static experiments simulating the muzzle exit conditions were carried out. Finally, the influence of electromagnetic waves emitted during railgun experiments on electronic devices was investigated, using a static setup with a conventional spark gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projectiles in coil gun usually make one-way movement and move at a very high speed. The device would be fit for the application of oil pumping unit, as long as the projectiles can make reciprocating movement and move slower by adopting proper control methods. At present, during the production process of petroleum, the efficiency of the system is rather low. Energy dissipation takes a considerable ratio in the total cost of oil production. Moreover, beam pumping-unit system suffers from long driving chain, poor flexibility, a quite huge capacity and weight under long length of stroke, and low efficiency. Aiming at the earlier problems, linear electromagnetic oil pumping unit is presented in this paper, which is essentially a multiphase coil launcher. Analysis is made about the advantages and disadvantages of three~phase and multiphase structures, as well as the practical structure. Simulation studies are made; meanwhile, experimental investigations are carried out on a small-scale-model machine system. Further simulation studies of coil launching system are carried through the mechanical and mathematical models of rod string in a sucker-rod pumping-unit system. Theoretical analysis and experimental results verify the feasibility and the validity of the proposed system. Thus, a new path to solve the problem of high energy dissipation in oil production is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The authors present a case of the death of a 60-year-old man shot using rubber projectiles that were fired by a police officer from a Mossberg smooth-bore shotgun in an enclosed space from a distance of a few metres. The post-mortem examination revealed that death had been due to gunshot wounds in the chest which had caused heart and lung damage with subsequent massive internal haemorrhaging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over 400tons of Pb enters Swiss soils annually at some 2000 military shooting ranges (MSRs). We measured elements in the leaves of 10 plant species and associated rhizospheric soil on the stop butt of a disused MSR. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Sb, Cu, Ni in rhizospheric soils were 10,171mg/kg, 5067mg/kg, 4125mg/kg and 917mg/kg. Some species contained Pb, Cu and Ni, above concentrations (30mg/kg, 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg) shown to be toxic to livestock. Most contaminants in leaves resulted from surface deposition. However, at soil Pb concentrations >60,000mg/kg, Equisetum arvense and Tussilago farfara took up >1000mg/kg Pb into the leaves. These plants are not hyperaccumulators, having <100mg/kg Pb in leaves at lower soil concentrations. Removal of soil with more than 30,000 Pb, from which one could smelt this metal to offset remediation costs, followed by revegetation, would minimise dust and hence leaf-borne contaminants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An elusive goal of the hypervelocity impact community has been the evaluation of the ballistic response of space hardware to impact velocities ranging from 8 to 11km/s using projectiles with known properties. The design, development, and use, during the 1960s, of a three-stage, light-gas gun at McGill University is reviewed. The developers of this gun claim that they were able to launch cylindrical, 12.7-mm-diameter Lexan disks with masses of 1.5 and 1.1g to velocities of 9.6 and 10.5km/s, respectively. This paper presents the results of an internally funded program at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) to duplicate the published performance of the McGill University launcher. A support structure and various components of a third stage which used an 8.1-mm-diameter launch tube were added to the UDRI 75/30-mm, two-stage, light-gas gun, making the arrangement of the components similar to the one used by McGill University. Work on the development of the UDRI three-stage, light-gas gun is a continuing effort, with the goal of successfully launching small diameter (∼3mm or less) aluminum spheres to velocities in excess of 9km/s. To date, the highest projectile velocity achieved with the UDRI three-stage, light-gas gun has been 8.65km/s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents an archeological study of Seven Years' War musket balls excavated from numerous sites in New York. Background on the multiethnic character of British military communities which shaped the imperial designs of competing European powers in North America; Details of the dichotomous social model for Anglo-American military communities in service during the war; Archeological hypothesis derived from the model.

Focuses on combat employment of missile troops and artillery in internal armed conflicts. Actual preparations of Missile Forces and Artillery formations for combat action; Combat task to MFA formations; Conditions in artillery formations; Organization of an effective engagement of enemy forces in the course of an internal armed conflict.

A combined experimental, analytical, and computational research and development program investigates the penetration of steel projectiles into low-strength concrete. Laboratory-scale material property tests conducted at the US Army Waterways Experiment Station on the concrete provide the data used in parameter estimation for a geomaterial constitutive model. The experiments and the model are described as well as the procedure used to fit the material model to the experimental data. The model accurately reproduces the data and predicts experimental results not used in the evaluation of model constants. The model, used in conjunction with an explicit transient dynamic finite element code, accurately predicts deceleration and depth of penetration of 3 CRH ogive-nosed 4340 steel penetrators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Discusses the development of methods of estimating the effectiveness of fire on multiple area targets as one of the important tasks of military science. Basis for the existing analytical methods of the activity; Reason for the validity of the assumption developed in the first part of the 20th century; Benefits of the development of long-range and armored weapons located in a variety of ways for military personnel.

Discusses the need for planning the simultaneous employment of fire and electronic-warfare equipment in an operation or combat. Role of estimation of the effectiveness of of combined engagement of enemy targets; Implications of the existing methods of such estimate on the combat capability of targets; Advantage of the existing methods of estimating effectiveness of damage to the adversary.

Multiple errors can occur in a use-of-force scenario, although some critical errors involve unintended casualties where the target should never have been fired upon. Training instructors utilize a variety of methods to ensure military and law enforcement personnel do not inflict unintended casualties. However, there is little empirical evidence about the best methods to design a shooting simulation that might evoke these errors, which is critical to ensure the validity of any assessment or training exercise. The current study analyzed performance across a variety of simulated shooting scenarios developed and applied for military training purposes. Several factors were assessed based upon either the scenario or human performance. Scenario type, number of shots fired, and the ratio of hostiles-to-non-hostiles were significant predictors for the likelihood of inflicting an unintended casualty. This collected evidence should help improve scenario design for future training simulations that will help avoid these critical shooting errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally military aviators have prepared for air-to-ground bombing missions with maps and aerial photographs of their targets. Mission rehearsal systems augment these media by allowing pilots to view simulated ingress to their target, as seen from the cockpit perspective. In the present experiment we assessed the benefits of mission rehearsal with a task requiring observers to view recorded approaches to target objects and to detect the target objects as quickly as possible. Results indicated that premission simulations allowed observers to detect target objects at greater stand-off ranges than did study with maps and aerial photographs alone. Actual or potential applications of this research include the deployment of a mission rehearsal system to assist aviators' mission planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]