AFRL Tests Fuze Survivability Published Aug. 29, 2007 By Munitions Directorate AFRL/MN EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- AFRL teamed with Alliant Techsystems (Plymouth, Minnesota) to conduct cannon testing of the Survivable Thermostable Robust Intelligent Fuze (STRIFE). STRIFE is an intelligent fuze capable of making active decisions during penetration. The device can sense voids, layers, and distance traveled; it also has a built-in data recorder that records its decisions, along with the penetration event itself. The test team executed subscale penetration events to evaluate fuze survivability and function under extremely high-impulse shock loads. Success criteria included firing the fuze's inert detonator at the programmed event and recording penetration deceleration and fuze performance data. Testing involved subjecting the fuze to a high-g shock environment by firing a subscale projectile into a concrete target using AFRL's howitzer cannon. The team tested four fuzes in subscale projectiles moving at high velocity into concrete targets. In all four tests, the fuzes functioned as programmed and recorded rigid body decelerations greater than 15 kg. These tests represent the most rigorous high-impulse shock testing the fuzes have undergone to date. The drive toward faster, more accurate, and capable weapons has created the need for intelligent fuzes capable of surviving high-impact conditions and thus increasing the ability of penetrating weapons to defeat hardened and deeply buried targets. STRIFE provides an accurate fuzing solution for hard target defeat. The results also signify STRIFE's potential for surviving the harsh environments associated with higher-impact velocities.