International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Constructive variants of warheads forming an axial flow of propagation of preformed elements have been designed. Tests have been carried out on experimental units with varying thickness of wall and shape of the barrier between the preformed elements and the bursting charge. Obtained results show the formation of a high-speed axial flow of a large amount of striking elements of one and the same type having sufficient kinetic energy to hit the targets. Thus, by changing the wall thickness and the barrier shape, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the fragmentation action by 35-40 % and to provide coverage of a larger area of damage.

Unmanned weapon systems with one or another degree of autonomy are widely discussed in the last years. The increasing use of drones in the law enforcement of some countries attracts considerable attention with regard of potential human rights violations. Although both non-lethal weapons and remotely controlled systems can save lives and provide indisputable tactical advantages, the introduction of non-lethal armed robotic systems into law enforcement is being viewed with skepticism and concerns. The purpose of this article is to explore why society is concerned about these systems and to what extent such concerns are grounded.

This report proposes a classification of the bulletproof vest according to various features, which is based on a study and analysis of modern threats and the use of vest by military, police and other units. This classification would allow for a quick, easy, adequate and reasoned choice of the appropriate vest kind and type depending on the tasks and the environment of operation.

The present-day geopolitical landscape and the nature of modern conflicts, in which opponents are often mixed with the civilian population, impose significant limitations on the use of force. Minimizing the number of victims in armed conflicts is fundamental principle of both International law (IL) and the Non-lethal weapons (NLWs) concept. The IL, however, still seems insufficiently adapted in respect to NLWs, creating paradoxes in which use of conventional weapons, causing massive death and damage, prove to be preferable to non-lethal force. This paper examines the unresolved issues in the relationships between IL and the chemical non-lethal agents.

A quasi two-dimensional mathematical model describing the process of forming the initial kinematic parameters of the fragmentation field was developed. It has been shown that the use of the continuous explosive initiation system allows for increasing the relative area of the target damage with up to 23% with varying degrees of damage.

More than 50 years after introducing the term "non-lethal weapons" (NLWs) and over 20 years of adopting the non-lethality policy, there is still no commonly accepted definition of this class of weapons, and the term "non-lethal weapons" is still subject to debates. This problem affects almost all aspects in the field of non-lethal weapons and is cause of most incorrect interpretations and contradictions connected to NLWs. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and summarize the purpose, features and potential of NLWs, in order to help clarify some existing ambiguities, thus contributing to the proper understanding of the modern “non-lethal weapons” concept.

The history of war is marked by rational use of technology to increase the lethal force of weapons. In the 21st century we are observing a turning point in the dynamic development of weapon technology, strategies, policies, organizational structure, etc., known as "Revolution in Military Affairs" (RMA). One of the decisive features of this revolution is the reduction of casualties and collateral damage. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of non-lethal weapons (NLWs) in current and future conflicts in terms of the most popular theories of RMA and the modern visions on the 21st century wars.

Investigation and assessment of non-lethal weapons (NLWs) require development of specific methods and tools different than those applied to conventional weapons, due to reversibility and limited duration of the NLWs’ effects. The capabilities evaluation aims to establish to what extent the NLWs are able to meet the requirements of an operational task. The paper describes the criteria currently applied for assessing the NLWs capabilities and proposes an approach based on selection of criteria and variation of their relative weights depending on studied NLWs and operational tasks specific. The application of this approach is illustrated by a comparative evaluation of a group of non-lethal hand grenades with different effects.

The capabilities of a non-lethal weapon (NLW) are its potential to successfully execute certain operational task. Non-lethal hand grenades are amongst the most used means for influence on people in any kind of missions and various operational contexts. This paper presents results of studies on the capabilities of seven types of hand grenades with different effects or combinations of effects developed and produced at the Institute of Metal Science, Equipment and Technologies (IMSETHAC-BAS). The capabilities assessment covers 14 operational tasks in which non-lethal grenades could be applied. Obtained results are compared to capabilities of highest evaluated current/programmed NLWs of leading NATO countries producers.