It’s true! The IMX-104 explosive is an important technological advancement in the area of Insensitive Munitions (IM) and is much safer to handle and store than TNT, yet equally effective on the battlefield.
IMX-104 is an IM formulation developed for mortar systems, and was recently fielded into the U.S. Army’s 81mm mortar munitions – an accomplishment that has grabbed the attention of many. In fact, because of the fielding, representatives from our Ordnance Systems, Inc. (OSI) business – those who are responsible for developing this technology – and representatives from the U.S. Army were recently presented with the “Munitions Safety Award for Technical Achievement.” This unique recognition was presented by the Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC) – a NATO-sponsored organization - as part of the 2015 Insensitive Munitions & Energetics Materials Technical Symposium.
The awards ceremony, held in Rome, Italy, was jointly sponsored by the Insensitive Munitions European Manufacturers Group, the National Defense Industrial Association, and MSIAC. The symposium proved to be a great opportunity to facilitate discussion and encourage the exchange of information around the latest insensitive munitions (IM) and energetic material advances.
“I am incredibly proud of the work the IMX team has done in recent years,” said Mike Ervin, Research & Development Director for OSI. “The innovation and benefits of this technology has allowed the U.S. Army to begin phasing out the legacy TNT based explosives in their artillery and mortar platforms. IMX is safer to handle and store, yet is equally effective for our Warfighters on the battlefield. This is an award that all of BAE Systems¬ and the Army can feel proud of.”
In addition to receiving the award, representatives from OSI were also presented with several technical papers and received mention in presentations by U.S. Department of Defense personnel.
Beyond IMX-104, various other IM explosive formulations are being developed and qualified for a wide array of munitions applications, including bombs, artillery and grenades. Once fielded, these new IM technologies could ultimately save lives around the world.