Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Laboratory

The Fuze Group's E3 team has the capability to expose systems to a wide range of severe electromagnetic environments utilizing laboratory facilities at Picatinny Arsenal and elsewhere. The systems' response to those environments is measured utilizing custom instrumentation designed and fabricated by E3 team personnel. E3 team engineers provide design guidance to ensure developmental systems will not be susceptible to electromagnetic environments to be encountered during their life cycle. Additionally, the E3 team serves as technical liaison between ARDEC elements and the Army Nuclear Survivability requirements community and test facilities. Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) ensure the safety and reliability of electrically initiated explosives in high electromagnetic radiation environments. Electromagnetic Radiation, Operational (EMRO) evaluation ensures the safe, reliable operation of electronic systems in their anticipated electromagnetic radiation environment. This type of system evaluation is similar to the MIL-STD-461 radiated susceptibility test for subsystems.

Lightning Effects (LE) experiments can be conducted to ensure the safety and reliability of ordnance and electronics systems when exposed to near strikes and to ensure the safety of ordnance when exposed to direct strikes. Some level of Nuclear Survivability (NS) is required of all mission-essential Army equipment.

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) requirements are common to nearly all Army materiel utilizing electronics. Additional nuclear environments which must be addressed generally for systems of tactical significance during a nuclear conflict are blast overpressure, thermal and Initial Nuclear Radiation (INR).

Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility (EMI/EMC) measurements can be made of the unintentional electromagnetic emissions of electronic subsystems and of their susceptibility to electromagnetic energy from outside sources to minimize the potential for interference to be experienced in the final system configuration.
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) experiments (shown above and below) can be performed on munitions and electronic systems to ensure that their safety and performance will not be degraded by exposure to high electrostatic discharge environments. Both Personnel-borne, Helicopter-borne ESD and High Voltage Corona (HVC) environments are considered.