A Study on the shelf-life of IR screening smoke launcher grenade

Smoke grenades are the primary means of protection used by tanks to disrupt enemy detection systems. Such smoke grenades are a critical factor that determines the survival of tanks in the engagement of ground weapon systems, but it can only be used once. Owing to its destructive property, the performance and safety of the smoke grenade cannot be confirmed prior to use. Therefore, the reliability of smoke grenades can be evaluated through various tests during the storage period. This paper presents the results of estimating the reliability and shelf life of IR screening smoke grenade launchers based on the result of the Ammunition Stockpile Reliability Program conducted in 2019. Among the smoke grenade launcher lots currently stored, 16 lots and samples were selected for each year of manufacture and tested. The reliability and shelf life were estimated by examining the number of defects and the change in quality characteristics of each test item. The results of this study can be used to assess the reliability of the smoke grenade launchers and to improve the quality of manufacturing sites.