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Abstract:
The primary performance objective for non-lethal, antipersonnel kinetic energy impact projectiles is to reliably deter or incapacitate without causing injuries that require medical treatment beyond simple first aid or which leave permanent damage. Unlike many lethal weapons, non-lethal weapons must have upper limits (in order to remain non-lethal) for the impact parameters that govern the terminal effects. The development and safety certification of kinetic energy, non-lethal impactor weapons requires documented and testable criteria to ensure that lethality is limited. Presently there are no firmly established, universal design criteria to ensure that the terminal effect will be below the threshold of unacceptable injury against a specified range of the populace. Predicting the terminal physiological effect of non-penetrating impact by a free flying projectile on a human being is difficult. Projectile properties, the location of impact, the angle of incidence, and the physiology of the target determine the overall effect. Different parts of the human body are notably more susceptible to blunt trauma injury than other parts, thus the same level of impact to different parts of the body can have a vastly different physiological effect. The only variables that can routinely be controlled in advance of impact on a human by a nonlethal projectile are the projectile properties. A better understanding of the combined influence of projectile properties on the mechanism of projectile/target interaction and on the resulting terminal effect will aid in designing projectiles that are effective yet have a low overall probability of being lethal or causing a serious and/or permanent injury. U.S. impact testing of animals by non-penetrating projectiles, and other blunt impact studies such as from the middle 1960's to the 1980's resulted in insight into the mechanisms of injury by blunt trauma, and proposed criteria.
| Limitations: |
 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE |
| Pages: |
9 |
| Report Date: |
1997 |
| Report Number: |
A741153 |
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