NATO AVT-335Research Specialists’

Meeting

Range Design and Management for Sustainable Live-Fire

Training RangesOn-line Meeting: 13-15 APR 2021

TECHNICAL EVALUATOR WRAP-UP

NATO AVT-335-RSMA Few Details Co-chairs

Dr Richard MARTEL (CAN)Ms Ida Vaa JOHNSEN (NOR)Mr Rolf KEISER (CHE)

RTG Members: Seven Countries Panel Mentor

Mr Ilpo PAUKKERI (FIN) Technical Evaluator

Mr Michael WALSH (USA) AVT Coordinator (Host)

Ms Monika VAVRIKOVA (SVK)Held on-line (WebEx) 13-15 APR 2021Originally to be held in Quebec City in April 2020

NATO AVT-335-RSM Lead-up NATO Activities AVT-115 (RSY) Environmental Impact of Munition and Propellant Disposal

AVT-197 (RTG) Munitions-Related Contamination – Source Characterization, Fate, and Transport

(AVT-177 (RSY) Munition & propellant disposal and its Impact on the Environment)

(AVT-243 (RSM) Next-Generation Greener Energetics and their Management)

AVT-244 (RSM) Munitions-related Contamination

AVT-249 (CDT: 2) Munitions-Related Contamination – Range Characterization (NATO STO AVT Panel Excellence Award)

AVT-276 (RLS) Environmental Management of Munitions and Greener Approaches to Design

AVT-291 (RTG) Range Design and Management for Reduced Environmental Impact

AVT-ST-007 (Active) STANAG Modifications for Range Characterization

NATO AVT-335-RSM

Admin Info• 69 Registered Participants• Four Sessions over three days• Keynote Speaker • 16 Papers from four countries• Average attendance of around 60 participants

(15 Countries)

NATO AVT-335-RSM

SessionsSession 1: Range Management (5 Papers) – What are our current practices and trajectories?Session 2: Risk Assessment (4 Papers) – Do we have a problem?Session 3: Range Design (3 Papers) – Do we have solutions? Session 4: Future Challenges (4 Papers) – What is around the next corner?

NATO AVT-335-RSM Preliminary Assessment

Highly relevant to the Connected Forces InitiativeOrganization of Activity

• Well organized• Very few problems with the WebEx

remote meeting software• Well run!

Presentations• Mostly new material• Data / results heavy (Great!)• Well presented, easy to follow, and

relevant

NATO AVT-335-RSM Preliminary Assessment

Highlights• Well attended - Web-based format allows ease of participation,

especially for those attending after working hours• Able to have a few “outside” conversations during brief breaks• Not constrained to a venue or time slot

Issues• Personal contact missing, especially outside of RSM window• Time zone spread: UTC +3 to UTC -8• Ramping up to speed on WebEx (although surprisingly smooth)

NATO AVT-335-RSM

Preliminary AssessmentPost-meeting Feedback: Participants were asked to comment briefly at the end of the RSM. All six of the participants who responded noted that the meeting was very interesting and quite informative. The talks broadened several people’s perspectives on range design and sustainability and there was positive anticipation for further events and involvement. Many participants gave thumbs-up signals when exiting the meeting.

NATO AVT-335-RSM

Mike’s Short Presentation

The Importance of Good Samplesfor

Good Data, Reproducible Results, and Defensible Decisions

NATO AVT-335-RSM The Sampling Paradox Current Practice

Decision

Results

Analytical Procedures

DocumentationSample Preparation

Sampling

Based on the results and recom-mendations derived from the results. High impact, potentially high cost.

Based on the analytical data. Used in generating recommendations for the decision makers.Very controlled analyses of sub-samples based on high-precision instruments and thorough QA/QC

Little guidance and QA/QCBasically on your own: Little guidance, even less QA/QC

Follows established procedures

Emphasis

Effo

rt

NATO AVT-335-RSM

The whole model is influenced by accumulating errors, i.e., the errors of lower steps, at the model’s foundation, are going to be carried over and magnified in the next step. This is unstable.

The Sampling Paradox Current Practice

Unrepresentative samples and poorly collected subsamples will result in results that are not valid and decisions that will be incorrect.

Sample prep/subsampling: 750% ErrorSampling: 1500% Error

NATO AVT-335-RSM The Sampling Paradox A Better Approach

Decision

Results

Analytical Procedures

Documentation

Sample Preparation

Sampling

Reproducible data give defensible results and informed decisions

Samples and subsamples are reproducible and can be analyzed statistically.

Sample Prep• Diminution of sample material• Multi-increment samples (i ≥40)• Replicate Samples (n = 3)• Lab QA/QC

Sampling• Multi-increment samples (i ≥80)• Replicate Samples (n = 3)• Field QA/QC

NATO AVT-335-RSM The Sampling Paradox

Beware of:• Point or grab samples

• Subsamples taken in the field

• Water samples that do not involve stream cross-

sections

• Water samples that do not integrate over pond/lake

depth

• A lack of replicate (3+) samples

• More than two significant digits in data/results