ASSESSMENT OF SKIN PENETRATION SURROGATES FOR USE WITH LESS LETHAL IMPACT MUNITIONS

Abstract

Less lethal impact munitions (LLIM) are often used by law enforcement as a less harmful deterrent, yet severe injuries due to the LLIM penetrating the skin have been reported. As penetration thresholds vary with anatomical differences, a biofidelic skin penetration surrogate is essential for end users to perform pre-deployment risk assessments. This study evaluated three skin penetration surrogates—TrueTissue, TP5, and NATO AEP-94—using two spherical rubber projectiles. Penetration risk curves were produced with velocity and energy density. Risk curves yielded 50% penetration thresholds of 16.2, 16.9, and 16.0 J/cm2 for TrueTissue, TP5, and NATO AEP-94 respectively, aligning with post mortem human specimen thresholds for the thigh (12.6 J/cm2) and abdomen (18.7 J/cm2) (Foley, 2024). Despite differences in materials and design, all surrogates produced comparable responses within 1 J/cm2 of each other suggesting similar responses. This information can be utilized to help assess the risk of penetration for LLIMs.