1. Thermobaric (TB) ACTD Breakfast Club Approval Briefing
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Surface Warfare Center Division
Thermobaric (TB) ACTD Breakfast Club Approval Briefing
Lt Col Tom Ward
August 1, 2001
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

2. Contents Mission Needs and Operational Requirements
Objective / Improved Military Capability
Operational Concept
Integrated Technical Approach
Programmatic / Organizational Approach
Key Participants, Roles and Responsibilities, POCs
Schedule and Cost
Technical/Programmatic Risks
Transition Strategy
Summary and Recommendation

3. Mission Need and Operational Requirements
Current conventional weapons provide limited capability to defeat hard and deeply buried tunnel facilities with complex layouts
Responds to requirements derived from:
Capstone Requirements Document (CRD) for “Hard and Deeply Buried Target Defeat” (HDBTD), JROC approved Jan 2001
USFK Mission Need Statement
Special CINC and Joint Staff requests for a near-term capability improvement (e.g. post-target exercise)
Joint Warfighting Capability Objective

4. HDBTD Needs Focus on Tunnels
Reinforced Concrete Bunkers
Vulnerable to Conventional Weapons
Tunnels
Favored for Protection of Most Critical National Assets (e.g., WMD, C3, Ballistic Missiles, National Leadership)
Invulnerable to Physical Destruction with Conventional Weapons
Must Exploit Functional Defeat
Notional C3I Target
Unique Challenges
Large-volume mission areas deep under mountain
Facility can operate in “buttoned up” mode
Numerous entrances, vents, extensive D&D
Supporting infrastructure has built-in redundancy
Although multiple penetrating weapons and/or special delivery tactics (optimized dual delivery) may be required, reinforced concrete bunkers are vulnerable (i.e. physical destruction is possible) to either current penetrating weapons (e.g., BLU-109/113/116) or planned penerating weapons (e.g. enhanced BLU-113). Thus, from a weapon lethality point of view, reinforced concrete bunkers whether aboveground, surface flush, underground, or under other buildings are not central to the hard target defeat problem. As a result of this vulnerability, many nations are moving their most valuable national assets into tunnels. In some cases even large numbers of tactical assets are protected in tunnel facilities (e.g., tube artillery, MRLS). The mission critical areas of tunnel facilities are almost all invulnerable to physical destruction using conventional weapons. A different approach is required to defeat tunnel facilities. We call this approach functional defeat. We define functional defeat as “Any action taken against a target which causes a militarily significant reduction in its capability to perform its function for a militarily significant period of time.” Functional defeat relies on being able to determine the critical elements necessary for a tunnel facility to perform its mission and to identify vulnerabilities which will allow one or more of these critical elements to be successfully attacked.

5. Objective / Improved Military Capability
TB ACTD Objective:
Leverage mature and emerging technology in thermobaric payloads to weaponize, demonstrate, and deliver within three years an improved weapon system for the functional defeat of tunnel targets.
Improved Military Capability:
Fewer weapons required for functional defeat
Longer duration shutdown for similar conventional attacks
Success less sensitive to intelligence gaps
Optimized TB weapon operational tactics

6. Increased In-Tunnel Lethality
CURRENT WEAPON
THERMOBARIC WEAPON
___ lbs HE
1100 ft tunnel
___ lbs TB
Lethal Area for Humans (>10 psi)
Lethal Area for vehicles (50 psi)
Lethal Area for blast doors
Notional
Greater Range to Effect
Greater Impulse
THERMOBARIC WEAPON BACKGROUND
Conv HE
Over-pressure
A “combustion-like” vice detonation process resulting in a long-duration, high temperature and pressure environment TB
Range

7. Comparison of BLU-109 (Tritonal) with Solid Fuel Air Explosive
SFAE
Comparison
at 91ft
U16a Tunnel
BLU-109
(2000-lb Class)
SFAE
(1000-lb Class)

8. TB Weapon Operational Concepts
1. Vertical delivery detonated at or just outside portal
2. Skip bomb with short fuse (1st or second contact)
3. Skip bomb with long fuse (penetrate door, max distance down adit)
4. Vertical delivery, penetrate overburden, detonate inside adit) 4 2 1 3
Payload Candidates
PBXIH-135, HAS-13, SFAE
Existing Weapon Bodies
BLU-109, Mk-84

9. Metrics for Military Utility Assessment
Compatibility with existing platforms
Warhead survivability
Increased lethality range and effects
Increased facility reconstitution times
Number of sorties required to meet mission objectives

10. Integrated Technical Approach
MEA Tunnels
Analytical
Computations
Thermobaric Formulations
Critical Element Fragilities
Specialized Instrumentation
Requirements Analysis
Concept Development
Payload Development
Weapon System Development
Planning Tool Module
Demonstration
Military Utility Assessment
Validated Operational Tactics
Acquisition Transition Plan
Residual Assets & Support
Collection of BDA Signatures

11. Primary Roles and Responsibilities
USFK - Operational Sponsor
Requirements, Military Utility Assessment (MUA), operations manager
Demonstration aircraft, operational demo guidance kits
DTRA - Executing Agency
Program management, concept development, system engineering
Demonstration coordination, integration, funding
Residual assets purchase and residual support
DUSD(AS&C) - OSD Sponsor
Oversight, supplemental funding
USAF - Proposed Service Sponsor
Weapon requirements (XOR) and development (AAC, AFRL)
Operational and acquisition transition coordination
DT&E, OT&E, MUA Support (AFOTEC Det 1)
Navy - Participating Service
Payload development, MUA Support (OPTEVFOR), funding

12. TB ACTD Oversight Group and Management Structure
DUSD(AT) Oversight Group
DUSD(AS&C) - Chair
USFK - Operational Sponsor
DTRA - Executing Agent
USAF - Lead Service
USN - Participating Service
Joint Managers
Demonstration Manager
Operational Manager
Advisory Role
Operational Test Agency
DTRA/TDSH
USFK IC
AFOTEC DET 1
OPTEVFOR
Planning Tool
Development
DTRA/TDA
AAC
Weapon System
Development
ONR
NSWC/IH
Payload
Development
Operational
Demonstration Planning
DTRA/TDT

13. TB ACTD Points of Contact
Demonstration Manager
Lt Col Tom Ward
DTRA
(703)
TB ACTD Operational Manager
MAJ Scott Horton
USFK/ J5
xxxx-xxxx
Proposed Lead Service Product Manager
Mr Gene Estep
USAF/ AAC / WMG
(850) x2132
DTRA Technical Manager
Dr Kibong Kim
DTRA
(703)
Navy Technical Manager
Anh Duong
NSWC/Indian Head
(301)

14. TB ACTD Schedule and Milestones Ground Test & Flight Test
FY/Quarter
WBS ITEMS 01 02 03 04 05 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
Program Mgt , System Eng, & Integration
Implementation Directive
9/3
Requirements Analysis
Technical Military Assessment
Test and Demonstration Plan
3/29
Concept Development
Select Candidate Fills
12/21
Select Weaponization Concept
Payload Development
1/31
Calculations and Experiments
Sub-scale Validation Tests
Full-scale Validation Test and Downselect
Explosive Qualification
12/20
Booster Studies
3/31
Weapon System Development
Warhead Selection and Design
Fuze Integration
2/28
Qualification
Ground Test & Flight Test
Weapon Fabrication
15 Test Assets
Planning Tools (MEA-Tunnels)
10 Res.
Weapon Delivery and Effects Model
Critical Equipment Fragilities Model
IMEA Planning Tool Module
3/31
9/30
Tunnel Defeat Demonstrations
WSMR Test Bed Construct & Outfit
Operational Demonstrations
4/1
7/15
5/15
Capability Transition
Acquisition Recommendation
9/30
User Training and Residual Delivery
10/29

15. * Funding provided under PBD 803
TB ACTD Budget ($)
FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06
DTRA RDT&E (PE BR) 14M * 15M 7M 1M 1M
- Management/Integration (DTRA)
- Weaponization/Qualification (Air Force)
DTRA PDW (for residual assets) 1M
NAVY RDT&E (PE N) 7M * 6M 3M
Air Force Provide inventory hardware
DUSD(AS&C) (PE D) 1.5M 2.5M 5M 2M 1M
TOTAL M 23.5M 16M 3M 2M
* Funding provided under PBD 803

16. Risk Management RISK ASSESSMENT MITIGATION Overall Risk = MEDIUM
(Low / Med / High)
MITIGATION
TECHNICAL: Candidate TB payloads do not perform substantially better than existing HE in tunnels
Medium
Parallel 6.2 payload development efforts
Threshold capability does not include blast doors
TECHNICAL: Payload survivability/ Fuze compatibility/ integration
Medium
Simplify design to the extent possible
SCHEDULE & COST: Payload/weapon/fuze integration across performing agencies
Medium
Coordination of mgt plan
Frequent reviews
SCHEDULE: WSMR Environmental Impact Statement
Medium
Submit requirements under on-going Env Assessment (EA)
Develop plans for alternate test site(s), e.g. NTS
Overall Risk = MEDIUM

17. Transition Strategy Warfighter Deliverables: Follow-on Acquisition:
10-20 thermobaric weapons as residual assets
Technical data to support storage, transportation, assembly, loading, and employment of the weapon system
Guidance kits and other inventory weapons hardware are not included
Unique target planning tools for weaponeering
Validated operational tactics for employment
Training to effectively plan and employ the system
Follow-on Acquisition:
Coordinated Transition Plan
Acquisition Recommendation

18. Summary Critical Operational Need Achievable Operational Concept
HDBTD Capstone Requirements Document
USFK Mission Need Statement
Achievable Operational Concept
Weaponize a thermobaric fill in an existing weapon system warhead to provide enhanced tunnel defeat capability
Validated means of delivery to/into tunnel adit
Minimizes logistics and operational impacts
Sponsors and Major Partners On-Board
USFK - Operational Sponsor
DTRA - Technical Management
USAF - Proposed Service Sponsor
Navy - Technical Support

19. Important: Manage Expectations
Summary (continued)
Acceptable Risk
Technical – Medium
Schedule and Cost – Medium
Tangible Deliverables
10-20 thermobaric weapons as residual assets
Planning tool for thermobaric weapon system
Technical data to support logistics and operational use of residual assets
Acceptable Funding Profile
DTRA and Navy FY02 funds for TB ACTD identified in PBD
Sponsors will adjust POM to reflect overguidance in FY03-FY06
Modest additional DUSD(AS&C) funding required
Important: Manage Expectations

20. Recommendation
DUSD (AS&C) Breakfast Club: Approve the Thermobaric ACTD for an FY02 Start