NTA has performed critical roles in the transition of the GMLRS program from a steel-case rocket motor to one that complies with Insensitive Munition requirements. NTA developed and obtained simulation models for the new rocket configuration, integrated these models into AvMC’s Guidance Integration Facility Simulation (GIFSim), and analyzed the system performance. NTA’s simulation, guidance and control experts tuned the existing autopilot gains to maximize stability and performance of the new configuration. Guidance parameters were derived for the IM-motor-equipped rockets using optimization techniques, and rocket operational flight software was modified to incorporate the additional set of gains. Activities and analyses performed by the prime contractor were monitored and reviewed. All these tasks culminated in a set of qualification flight tests for the IM-motor-equipped rockets. In addition, range safety footprints were generated for White Sands Missile Range, simulating a wide range of failures occurring at varying times during flight, and for target ranges extending from minimum to maximum in 5-km increments. Due to the extensive number of simulation runs involved, the development and implementation by NTA of cluster computing capability for GIFSim resulted in economical use of time and resources for this task.
Insensitive Munition
