Warfare has changed - so should have methods: Ammunition and weapon performance induced operational risk and safety issues

Warfare has changed. Out-of-area operations have increased the awareness that we are unfamiliar with the performance of the current conventional medium and large calibre ammunitions in day-to-day practice. Current ammunition is primarily developed and procured to defeat the traditional ‘steel’ targets, but in reality also used to defeat opposing parties operating in urbanized terrain. Not only the unfamiliarity with the ammunition performance and effect against urban infra targets or protections, but also restrictions due to operating in confined spaces are topics to be dealt with by the operational commander.
The Netherlands Defence Organisation started a large scale experimental research program in collaboration with international partners to become conversant with the performance and effect of conventional ammunitions (12.5mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm, 120mm, 155mm, AT, …) including target practice ammunition against typical infra structural targets (brick, concrete, adobe, …). In 2010 an associated research program started at TNO.
The experimental and theoretical research program, in combination with the operational lessons-learned, contributes to improve the safe, effective and efficient use of ammunition in out-of-area operations as well as on future related ammunition procurement requirement programs. The impact on and challenges for the supporting theoretical and simulation assessment methodology are evident.
Confined, urban areas include multiple participating and non-participating parties. Due to own firepower and ammunition performance, operational safety and risk issues are introduced in the theatre in the vicinity of the target area and firing platform to be dealt with by the operational commander. Survivability Prepared for the 5th European Survivability Workshop, Alesund (NO), 8-10 June 2010 issues implicit implies that opposing forces will represent the threat to be considered. In this paper, the operational safety and risk issues for own forces to be considered will be induced by the own (or friendly) forces during their engagement of the opposing entities.
Some of the topics identified are highlighted. Modern warfare will have impact on the appreciation of operational safety and risk issues compared to cold war theatre. It is time to start thinking, discuss and reconsider the ideas and definitions stemming from the cold ware era. The objective is evident, the need for (inter)national accepted metrics and assessment methods to address operational safety and risk issues in modern warfare is urgent. Survivability is not a capability, it is a responsibility!