NATO Standardization Agreement Research Articles

Commentary-A Military Health Care Ethics Framework.

Ethical practice within military health care is a significant topic of professional and academic debate. The term "military health care ethics" enfranchises the entire health care team. Military health care professionals are subject to tension between their duties as military personnel, and their ethical duties as health care professionals, so-called "Dual Loyalty." Some military health care practitioners have suffered moral injury because of the psychological stress associated with ethical challenges on military operations. It is important to define military health care ethics and also to consider how it should be taught. The essence of ethical practice is ethical decision-making. It has become self-evident from our experience of teaching military health care ethics that a simple and agreed framework for analyzing an ethical problem is required. This paper describes the development of the King's Military Healthcare Ethics Framework in support of a military health care ethics policy on behalf of the NATO Military Healthcare Working Group. There is logic to using a stepped approach to analyze an ethical problem in military health care. These steps are: "Identify" the problem, "Analyze" the problem including consideration of perspectives, "Fuse" the analysis, and "Decide". Step 1-Identify-is intended to orientate the decision-making group, and to articulate the problem specifically and clearly in order to determine the exact ethical issue and the secondary issues that arise. Step 2-Analyse-considers the problem from 4 perspectives: patient, clinical, legal, and societal/military. These reflect the breadth of perspectives that impact on health care practice within a military context. Step 3-Fuse-is the culminating step. The conclusions from the analysis of perspectives should be summarized and key references cited. This will determine the exact decision(s) to be made. Step 4-Decide-clearly articulates the decision made and provides the record of the key reasons for making that decision. This may include areas of enduring uncertainly and any planned review of the decision. The King's Military Healthcare Ethics Analytical Framework has been evaluated for content validity through iterative discussion at 4 meetings of the NATO MHCWG and a specific workshop on military health care ethics over 2022/2023. It is included within the draft NATO Standardization Agreement on Military Healthcare Ethics.

Language Lessons Learned? NATO Requirements and Norwegian Officer Cadets

This study establishes the extent to which Norwegian officer cadets have reached NATO English-language capability targets (NCT) on their graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Military Studies. It further investigates their opinions about the role of English language in the context of the officer profession. Cadets (n = 104) from the three military academies (Army, Navy, Air Force) filled in a Likert-scale questionnaire and afterwards tested on their language in accordance with NATO Standardization Agreement 6001. Analyses of test results showed that while very few cadets reached the NCT for officers working on international staffs; a larger number, however, reached the NCT for officer deployments to NATO operations, exercises, or training. While questionnaire respondents considered the English language instruction offered during their studies relevant to the military profession, the absence of a summative assessment of language proficiency would appear to influence motivation for language training efforts. We conclude that, in order to reach NCT, military educational institutions would do well to increase their focus on the NATO language standard and consider their future assessment practices.

SOME FEATURES OF THE APPLICATION OF NATO STANDARDS REGARDING ENSURING THE UNIFORMITY OF MEASUREMENTS DURING TESTING OF ARMAMENT AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT

The intensive implementation of NATO standards is due to Ukraine’s course towards full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Some results of the implementation of NATO standards are given.
 The results of organizational and regulatory measures carried out to ensure unity of measurements carried out at the present time, as well as a change in the regulatory and methodological foundations of the creation and functioning of the state system of quality assurance are shown. The purpose of the work is to analyze regulatory acts on the implementation and application of NATO standards at the present stage in the field of ensuring unity of measurement in testing and identifying the features and complexities of these processes. Based on the results of the analysis of regulatory documents, conclusions were drawn regarding the change in the status of NATO standards in Ukraine from national to military and the mandatory application of military standards to enterprises, institutions and organizations of all forms of ownership that perform work and provide services for defense needs. Three groups of military standards have been singled out, which directly or indirectly regulate the requirements for ensuring the unity of measurements during testing of armament and military equipment, as well as specific requirements for them for each group. These groups of standards were developed on the basis of the NATO standardization agreements STANAG 4107, STANAG 4370 and STANAG 4704. The regulatory and legal principles and methodological foundations of the creation and operation of the state system of quality assurance according to STANAG 4107, the features of tests according to STANAG 4370, and issues related to the implementation of STANAG 4704 in in full in Ukraine. Certain difficulties in the implementation of NATO standards in Ukraine are noted and some ways to solve them are given.

A New Method for Combined Hyperventilation and Hypoxia Training in a Tactical Fighter Simulator.

INTRODUCTION: Physiological episodes are an issue in military aviation. Some non-pressure-related in-flight symptoms are proved to be due to hyperventilation rather than hypoxia. The aim of this study was to validate a new training method provoking hyperventilation during normobaric hypoxia (NH) training in an F/A-18 Hornet simulator.METHODS: In a double-blind setting, 26 fighter pilots from the Finnish Air Force performed 2 setups in a WTSAT simulator in randomized order with full flight gear. Without the pilot's knowledge, 6% O₂ in nitrogen or 6% O₂ + 4% CO₂ in nitrogen was turned on. Ventilation (VE) was measured before, during, and after hypoxia. Spo₂ and ECG were monitored and symptoms documented. The subjects performed a tactical identification flight until they recognized symptoms of hypoxia. Thereafter, they performed hypoxia emergency procedures with 100% O₂ and returned to the base with a GPS malfunction and executed an instrument landing system (ILS) approach with the waterline HUD mode evaluated by the flight instructor on a scale of 1 to 5.RESULTS: Ventilation increased during normobaric hypoxia (NH) from 12 L · min-1 to 19 L · min-1 at Spo₂ 75% with 6% O₂, and from 12 L · min-1 to 26 L · min-1 at Spo₂ 77% with 6% O₂ + 4% CO₂. ILS flight performance was similar 10 min after combined hyperventilation and hypoxia (3.1 with 6% O₂ + 4% CO₂ and 3.2 with 6% O₂). No adverse effects were reported during the 24-h follow-up.DISCUSSION: Hyperventilation-provoking normobaric hypoxia training is a new and well-tolerated method to meet NATO Standardization Agreement hypoxia training requirements.Leinonen AM, Varis NO, Kokki HJ, Leino TK. A new method for combined hyperventilation and hypoxia training in a tactical fighter simulator. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2022; 93(9):681-687.

Zastrieľanie a opravovanie účinnej streľby delostrelectva v súlade so štandardami NATO v podmienkach OS SR - určovanie pravouhlých opráv pozorovateľom

In order to provide timely, effective and safe fire support for manoeuvreIn order to provide timely, effective and safe fire support for manoeuvreunits, NATO member states agreed to use common procedures whenprocessing fire missions in multi-national operations. The aim of this articleis to identify differences in the procedures for adjustment of artillery fire inaccordance with the national procedures used in the Armed Forces of theSlovak Republic and the procedures set out in NATO standardizationagreements. After identifying differences in those procedures to conductcomparative and creative analysis of possible solutions to adjust nationalprocedures to comply with accepted NATO standards and suggest mostsuitable ones.

COMPUTER ADAPTIVE LANGUAGE TESTING ACCORDING TO NATO STANAG 6001 REQUIREMENTS

The article deals with the innovative, cutting age solution within the language testing realm, namely computer adaptive language testing (CALT) in accordance with the NATO Standardization Agreement 6001 (NATO STANAG 6001) requirements for further implementation in foreign language training of personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AF of Ukraine) in order to increase the quality of foreign language testing. The research provides the CALT method developed according to NATO STANAG 6001 requirements and the CALT algorithm that contains three blocks: “Starting point”, “Item selection algorithm”, “Scoring algorithm” and “Termination criterion”. The CALT algorithm has an adaptive ability, changing a complexity level, sequence and the number of items according to the answers of a test taker. The comparative analysis of the results of the CALT method piloting and the paper-and-pencil testing (PPT) in reading and listening according to the NATO STANAG 6001 requirements justifies the effectiveness of the three-level CALT method. It allows us to determine the following important benefits of CALT: test length reduction, control of measurement accuracy, objective assessment, improved test security, generation of a unique set of items, adaptive ability of the CALT algorithm, high motivation of the test takers, immediate score reporting and test results management. CALT is a qualitative and effective tool to determine test takers’ foreign language proficiency level in accordance with NATO STANAG 6001 requirements within the NATO Defence Educational Enhancement Programme. CALT acquires a special value and relevance in the context of the global COVID 19 pandemic.

Estimation of the Ballistic Parameters of Double Base Gun Propellants

AbstractThe burning properties of propellants are important inputs needed in ballistic simulation. A closed vessel experiment is employed to characterize the burning properties of gunpowder. The results obtained after testing in a closed vessel are exploited according to the development of the burning rate equation defined in the NATO Standardization Agreement. Recently a method for the estimating of the burning rate, r(p), of a solid propellant simply on the basis of pressure P(t), which had been recorded during closed vessel experiments, and a knowledge of the shape and geometric dimensions of the propellant grains, has been reported. This method does not need prior knowledge of the values of the thermodynamic properties (specific force and co‐volume) of the propellant. It has been verified on the following examples: a 4/1 single‐base propellant with cylindrical single‐perforated grains and the JA‐2 triple‐base propellant with seven‐perforated grains. In this paper, this method was corroborated for the case of spherical and flattened double base gun propellants. Additionally, based on the previous cited method, a new approach allowing the estimation of the ballistic parameters was established.

Warm-Up as a Means of Fostering Target-Language Performance in a Particular English Class

The article concerns the problem of fostering future border guard officers’ target-language performance by means of warming-up activities. The aim of the article is to track and validate the influence of warming-up activities on the effectiveness of teaching English for Specific Purposes to the cadets of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Regular introduction of the cadets to the warming-up activities during the English classes has enhanced cadets’ target-language performance and communicative competence as well as provided them with real-life contexts and settings, and therefore with adaptable and transferrable skills they can apply in all areas of their academic and professional life including interviewing travelers or impostors on the border. Our hypothesis is that warming-up activities contribute to cadets’ target-language performance in a particular class. It was verified by the experiment which was conducted in 2017-2018 in the form of an interview based on quasi-professional communication with the second year cadets (120 people) of “Law” specialty at Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The analysis of the final control assessments conducted by means of using specially adopted the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG 6001) table of language proficiency levels for the future border guards’ language requirements, basic terms and procedures demonstrated that warm-ups is a performance potential for cadets of different educational levels and can be used in diverse contexts including real communicative situations in which they learn to solve problems. Analysis has shown that due to the regular use of warming-up activities while conducting a particular English class, the quality of target-language performance has increased, which was confirmed by the cadets’ academic scores. The result of the experiment gives credence to the assertion made earlier that warm-ups does their job: the cadets’ target-language performance in experimental groups has improved at 8.02 (from 78.72 to 86.74), which is much higher than in control groups ‑ at 2,65 (from 79.69 to 82.34). It is safe to say that instructors should take advantage of warming-up activities to catch cadets’ attention, promote motivation and interaction, practice and experiment with the language, which will “at the end of the day” lead to target-language performance enhancement.Keywords: warm-ups, English for specific purposes, cadets, target-language performance, particular English class.

Military aeronautical charts in the past and today

Abstract The history of the development of military aeronautical charts began immediately before the First World War. The first charts created at that time did not differ much from topographic maps. Air planes were fairly slow back then and had a small range of action, which meant that the charts were developed at the scale of 1:200,000. When speed of aircraft increased, it soon turned out that this scale was too large. Therefore, many countries began to create charts with smaller scales: 1:300,000 and 1:500,000. The International Map of the World 1:1,000,000 (IMW) was frequently used for continental flights prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, while 1:3,500,000 and 1:5,000,000 maps were commonly used for intercontinental flights. The Second World War brought a breakthrough in the field of aeronautical chart development, especially after 7 December 1941, when the USA entered into the war. The Americans created more than 6000 map sheets and published more than 100 million copies, which covered all continents. In their cartographic endeavours, they were aided foremost by the Brits. On the other hand, the Third Reich had more than 1,500 officers and about 15,000 soldiers and civil servants involved in the development of maps and other geographic publications during the Second World War. What is more, the Reich employed local cartographers and made use of local source materials in all the countries it occupied. The Germans introduced one new element to the aeronautical charts – the printed reference grid which made it easier to command its air force. The experience gained during the Second World War and local conflicts was for the United States an impulse to undertake work on the standardization of the development of aeronautical charts. Initially, standardization work concerned only aeronautical charts issued by the US, but after the establishment of NATO, standardization began to be applied to all countries entering the Alliance. The currently binding NATO STANAGs (Standardization Agreements) distinguish between operational charts and special low-flight charts. The charts are developed in the WGS-84 coordinate system, where the WGS-84 ellipsoid of rotation is the reference surface. The cylindrical transverse Mercator projection was used for the scale of 1:250,000, while the conformal conic projection was used for other scales. The first aeronautical charts issued at the beginning of the 20th century contained only a dozen or so special symbols concerning charts’ navigational content, whereas currently the number of symbols and abbreviations found on such charts exceeds one hundred. The updating documents are published every 28 days in order to ensure that aeronautical charts remain up-to-date between releases of their subsequent editions. It concerns foremost aerial obstacles and air traffic zones. The aeronautical charts published by NATO have scales between 1:50,000 and 1:500,000 and the printed Military Grid Reference System (MGRS), while the aeronautical charts at scales between 1:250,000 and 1:2,000,000 contain the World Geographic Reference System (GEOREF). Nowadays, modern military air planes are characterised by their exceptional combat capabilities in terms of speed, range and manoeuvrability. Aside from aircraft, contemporary armed forces make increasingly frequent use of aerial robots, drones and unmanned cruise missiles. This is why, there has been a noticeable increase, especially in NATO, in the amount of work devoted to the standardization and development of aeronautical charts, as well as deepening of knowledge of navigation and aeronautical information.

Fragment impact modeling and experimental results for Insensitive Munitions compliance of a 120mm warhead

The US Army ARDEC at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ is currently developing a 120mm munition to achieve greater Insensitive Munitions (IM) compliance. Several international standardization agreements (STANAGs) outline various IM threats that are designed to simulate the hazards munitions are commonly exposed to on the modern battlefield. These threats include sympathetic reaction (SR), shaped charge jet impact (SCJ), cook-off (CO), and bullet and fragment impact (BI/FI). FI is the focus of this effort. As per NATO STANAG 4496 Ed. 1, FI testing is conducted at 2530±90 m/s with a 14.3mm diameter, L/D~1, 160˚ conical nosed mild steel fragment. Reaction violence resulting from FI can be mitigated by the use of an internal or external liner, commonly referred to as a particle impact mitigation sleeve (PIMS), applied to the warhead body. High rate continuum models were used to interrogate the shock and penetration responses of several PIMS-enhanced 120mm warheads loaded with PAX-3 explosive. The concepts were subsequently tested at the GD-OTS test facility. Test outcomes are reported and are compared with modeling predictions. The models indicate a significant reduction in the induced shock pressures due to application of the PIMS, and provide a good distinction between the initiating and non-initiating impacts which were experimentally observed. However, more work is needed to reduce the violence of the resulting subdetonative responses.

PRELIMINARY CONCEPT OF EXPEDIENT/BATTLE DAMAGE REPAIR SYSTEM FOR THE POLISH ARMED FORCES

The paper presents the expedient/battle damage repair of weapon system preliminary concept for The Polish Armed Forces which should be introduced in order to fulfil NATO standardization agreements. The proposed concept was drawn up on the basis of allied doctrines and regulations as well as on the study of expedient/battle damage repair systems which occur in other NATO armies. The preliminary proposition includes the functional concept of the abovementioned system at central level.

Ceramic Materials for Ballistic Protection

The ballistic performance of ceramic materials was investigated. Various types of ceramic-metals and ceramic-laminate composites were prepared. Their ballistic resistances against AP small arms ammunition of protection level 2 and 3 according to NATO Standardization Agreement STANAG 4569 were investigated. For the ballistic performance assessment V50 test method was used. From economical, technological, and ballistic point of view as optimal solution sandwich structure consisting of alumina front-face layer and aramid or duralumin backing layer was found.

Training in the Law of Armed Conflict – A NATO Perspective

Given the complexity and intensity of current multinational military operations, it is important to achieve the highest degree of interoperability possible in all areas, including the training of forces in the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 2449 sets out a minimum standard of necessary training for NATO forces and provides an outline of a training program useful to all military personnel, and to noncommissioned and commissioned officers specifically. NATO STANAG 2449 provides not only a guideline for nations to use in the training of their forces, but also a basis upon which to assess their respective programs at the macro level in terms of interoperability. In the modern context, ‘interoperability’ necessarily includes consideration of the Rules of Engagement (ROE).

Transparent armour materials

The ballistic performance of transparent ceramic and glass materials was investigated. Various types of layered sandwich composites were compared from the ballistic resistance viewpoint. Layered sandwiches from soda-lime silicate float glass and also sandwiches with sapphire top layer were prepared. Their ballistic resistances against two types of 7.62 mm caliber armour-piercing (AP) ammunition of protection level 3 according to NATO Standardization Agreement STANAG 4569 were investigated. For the ballistic performance assessment depth of penetration (DOP) test method and ballistic mass efficiency of sandwich (BME S) criterion were used. From economical, technological, optical and ballistic point of view as optimal solution sandwich structure consisting of sapphire front-face layer, float glass internal layers and polycarbonate backing layer was found. Specific solution is shown in the article.

Shock Desensitization Effect in the Confined Explosive Component Water Gap Test Defined by the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4363

AbstractIn an effort to extend the modified explosive component water gap test [1–3] defined by the NATO standardization agreement (STANAG) 4363, several countries have investigated the shock sensitiveness of confined lead and booster components having a diameter less than 5 mm [4–8]. A pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) based acceptor pellet is chosen as a reference with a height and diameter of 3 mm. The height of the steel confinement is equal to the one of the HE pellet and the wall thickness varies. A 1‐mm thick wall makes the component more sensitive (larger water gap). As the wall thickness is increased to 2‐mm, the gap increases a lesser amount. A decrease in sensitivity is observed with a 3.5 mm thick wall (smaller water gap). This decrease of the water gap has been reproduced experimentally. This unusual behavior remains puzzling and does not allow the test to be extended for small components. This work presents the numerical simulations performed with LS‐Dyna in 2D axi‐symmetrical and 3D wedge configurations, using an ignition and growth model [9] for LX‐16 (96% PETN, 4% FPC 461) in order to evaluate the shock sensitiveness for a confined HE acceptor.

Evaluating the Ability of Material to Meet Extended Life Requirements: Overview of a NATO Methodology

A methodology is proposed to address the requirement for extension of the service life of commercial or military equipment beyond the duration defined in the original equipment design, or Life Cycle Environmental Profile (LCEP) definition. The life extension evaluation process is based on the recently published NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG), STANAG 4570 Edition 1, Evaluating The Ability of Materiel To Meet Extended Life Requirements. Equipment systems are often too complex to easily determine the success of a life extension program. The methodology provides a structured and economical procedure to promote conformity and documentation of life extension requirements. Evaluation of the original and proposed LCEP, current equipment service environment, and potential failure modes focus the evaluation on critical aspects. The application of environmental testing and analytical methods then provides a reliable procedure for evaluation of the life extension program.

Qualitative assessment of cause-of-injury coding in U.S. military hospitals: NATO standardization agreement (STANAG) 2050

Background: Accurate injury cause data are essential for injury prevention research. U.S. military hospitals, unlike civilian hospitals, use the NATO STANAG system for cause-of-injury coding. Reported deficiencies in civilian injury cause data suggested a need to specifically evaluate the STANAG. Methods: The Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database (TAIHOD) was used to evaluate worldwide Army injury hospitalizations, especially STANAG Trauma, Injury, and Place of Occurrence coding. We conducted a review of hospital procedures at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) including injury cause and intent coding, potential crossover between acute injuries and musculoskeletal conditions, and data for certain hospital patients who are not true admissions. We also evaluated the use of free-text injury comment fields in three hospitals. Results: Army-wide review of injury records coding revealed full compliance with cause coding, although nonspecific codes appeared to be overused. A small but intensive single hospital records review revealed relatively poor intent coding but good activity and cause coding. Data on specific injury history were present on most acute injury records and 75% of musculoskeletal conditions. Place of Occurrence coding, although inherently nonspecific, was over 80% accurate. Review of text fields produced additional details of the injuries in over 80% of cases. Conclusions: STANAG intent coding specificity was poor, while coding of cause of injury was at least comparable to civilian systems. The strengths of military hospital data systems are an exceptionally high compliance with injury cause coding, the availability of free text, and capture of all population hospital records without regard to work-relatedness. Simple changes in procedures could greatly improve data quality.

Viewpoint: a comparison of cause-of-injury coding in U.S. military and civilian hospitals

Introduction: Complete and accurate coding of injury causes is essential to the understanding of injury etiology and to the development and evaluation of injury-prevention strategies. While civilian hospitals use ICD-9-CM external cause-of-injury codes, military hospitals use codes derived from the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 2050. Discussion: The STANAG uses two separate variables to code injury cause. The Trauma code uses a single digit with 10 possible values to identify the general class of injury as battle injury, intentionally inflicted nonbattle injury, or unintentional injury. The Injury code is used to identify cause or activity at the time of the injury. For a subset of the Injury codes, the last digit is modified to indicate place of occurrence. This simple system contains fewer than 300 basic codes, including many that are specific to battle- and sports-related injuries not coded well by either the ICD-9-CM or the draft ICD-10-CM. However, while falls, poisonings, and injuries due to machinery and tools are common causes of injury hospitalizations in the military, few STANAG codes correspond to these events. Intentional injuries in general and sexual assaults in particular are also not well represented in the STANAG. Because the STANAG does not map directly to the ICD-9-CM system, quantitative comparisons between military and civilian data are difficult. Conclusions: The ICD-10-CM, which will be implemented in the United States sometime after 2001, expands considerably on its predecessor, ICD-9-CM, and provides more specificity and detail than the STANAG. With slight modification, it might become a suitable replacement for the STANAG.

Tactical Symbology Standards

CRT displays aboard U.S. Navy ships use a standardized monochrome Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) symbol set to represent properties of symbols such as platform type (e.g. Aircraft Carrier, Combat Air), environment (e.g. air, surface, subsurface), and identification (e.g. hostile, friendly). A color symbol set has been proposed in NATO Standardization Agreement 4420, Display Symbology and Colours for NATO Maritime Units (1990). The U.S. Navy is currently considering ratification of this Standardization Agreement (STANAG). Empirical comparisons of operator performance using the NTDS symbology versus those using the color-filled NATO STANAG symbology were conducted. Two additional experimental symbologies were also created. The first, called NTDS Equated, is a color version of the NTDS symbol set, and the second experimental symbol set, called NATO Outline, is a color outline version of the color filled NATO STANAG symbol set. Test subjects were asked to find (hook) specific symbols during a tactically relevant scenario. Time to the first correct hook and percentage of correct hooks were subjected to analyses of variance (ANOVA). Experimental results revealed that the NATO STANAG symbol set outperformed all other symbol sets in terms of symbol recognition time, and outperformed the NTDS Standard symbol set for symbol recognition accuracy as well. The results indicated that tactical information can be transferred more quickly and accurately to watch standers through effective use of symbol coding. Test subjects familiar with the NTDS symbology expressed a preference for the color symbol sets in opinion surveys administered after the experiment. General conclusions resulting from comparisons across symbol sets were that color fill was more effective than color outline, and that operator performance gains were achieved as a result of color coding and greater information content on the symbol. This paper presents the human performance assessment that was conducted, the results, and the implications of the findings for ratification of NATO STANAG 4420.

Standardization Within NATO on the Method of Expressing Navigation Accuracies

At the Royal Institute of Navigation conferences NAV 84 and NAV 85, considerable interest was shown in the achievement of standardization in expressing navigational accuracy. As a result, permission was sought and granted to publish the NATO Standardization Agreement on the subject in the Journals of all IAIN members. The text of the Agreement is hereby presented.