Browsing by Author "Johnson, Steve"

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    Experimental fragmentation of pipe bombs with varying case thickness
    (Elsevier, 2019-11-05) da Silva, Luciana A.; Johnson, Steve; Critchley, Richard; Clements, Jim; Norris, Karl; Stennett, Christopher
    Among all the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) known, pipe bombs are one of the most popular devices used by terrorists. They are simple to use, easy to construct and materials are readily available. For this IED, fragmentation is the primary injury mechanism, which makes them a desirable weapon for terrorists aiming to inflict maximum human casualties. Although the investigation of fragmentation pattern is not novel, there is limited data available on pipe bombs performance in the open literature. Therefore, this research is looking at validating results in current literature, which showed limited repetition and weak experimental design so far; by trial with six pipe bombs with two different thickness (3 of each). The pipe bombs consisted of mild steel casing and aluminised ammonium nitrate as the explosive filler. Fragments were collected, with an average recovery of 72%, and measured regarding mass and velocity. The experiment results show a correlation between the pipe thickness and both the size and velocity of fragments.
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    Written evidence into the use of Improvised Explosive Devices and their impact on the Humanitarian Space. Report to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Explosive Weapons
    (2017-08-24) Cleary, Laura; Johnson, Steve; McAteer, Daniel; Turns, David; Wilkinson, Edith
    This report constitutes Cranfield’s School of Defence and Security response to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Weapons’ call for written evidence (dated 11 December 2015) into the use of Improvised Explosive Devices and their impact on the Humanitarian Space. The APPG expressed interest in three questions: - What are the main groups using IEDs that operate around the globe today and what types of IEDs do they employ? - What challenges do state governments and law enforcement agencies face in effectively monitoring and restricting the sale of dual use precursor materials used in making IEDs and the knowledge exchange between groups? - The level and extent of humanitarian harm caused by IEDs around the world?