MIL-HDBK-684

Abstract

This handbook is intended to organize and consolidate documentation on technologies and techniques suitable to make combat vehicles more resistant to fire and to minimize the effects of fires on the vehicles and their crews. <br>This handbook contains data on <br>1. Materials used in combat vehicles with emphasis on their ignition and flammability characteristics <br>2. Available fire-reduction techniques and &#8211;extinguishing systems <br>3. Past experience with combat vehicle fires, materials, and components <br>4. Survivability enhancement testing <br>5. Computer models used to predict fire survivability performance. Clothing can enhance the survivability of the crew. Combat vehicle designers, however, should not depend upon such clothing to meet the fire survivability design objectives. <br>Stowed munitions may detonate rather than burn or deflagrate given a ballistic impact. The design features needed to withstand the detonation are beyond the scope of this handbook. <br><strong>PURPOSE</strong> <br><strong>GENERAL PURPOSE</strong> <br>The purpose of this handbook is to provide information that can be used <br>1. By engineers to integrate fire survivability into the design of combat vehicles <br>2. By developers of fire prevention, detection, and suppression systems to understand the operational requirements and environments of combat vehicles <br>3. By vehicle project and product managers to obtain an overview of the available technology and of fire survivability problems <br>4. By military officers to obtain information to aid in establishing fire survivability requirements for future vehicles.