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What is a Lethal Autonomous Weapon?

Introduction Lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs) are a type of autonomous military system that can independently search for and engage targets based on programmed constraints and descriptions. Refer to Overview of Fictional Military Robots and Artificial Intelligence Arms Race. LAWs are also known as lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS), autonomous weapon systems (AWS), robotic weapons or… Read More

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An Overview of Dynamite

Introduction Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and stabilisers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and was patented in 1867. It rapidly gained wide-scale use as a more robust alternative to the traditional black powder explosives. It allows… Read More

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What is IMX 101?

Introduction IMX-101 is a high-performance insensitive high explosive composite mixture developed by BAE Systems and the United States Army to replace TNT in artillery shells. Refer to Dunnite and Dynamite. Background IMX stands for “Insensitive Munitions eXplosives”, which refers to the purpose of IMX-101: to provide explosive force equivalent to TNT without its sensitivity to… Read More

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An Overview of TNT

Introduction Trinitrotoluene, more commonly known as TNT – more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene – is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. Refer to Dynamite, IMX 101, and Dunnite. TNT is occasionally used as a reagent in chemical synthesis, but it is best known as an explosive material with convenient… Read More

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What is a Reactive Material?

Introduction In the US military, reactive materials (RM) are a new class of materials currently being investigated by the Office of Naval Research and others as a means to increase the lethality of direct-hit or fragmentation warheads. Refer to Insensitive Munition and Dunnite. Outline Reactive materials are similar to insensitive high explosives, but are usually… Read More

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What is an Insensitive Munition?

Introduction Insensitive munitions are munitions that are designed to withstand stimuli representative of severe but credible accidents. The current range of stimuli are shock (from bullets, fragments and shaped charge jets), heat (from fires or adjacent thermal events) and adjacent detonating munitions. A munition can have its vulnerability reduced by a number of means used… Read More