MABS / General Information / history

A short history of the MABS Symposia

r. 16.05.2003

In the early years of the nuclear weapons age a large number of nuclear atmospheric tests were performed for several purposes. Among them, so called effect tests were conducted in order to investigate the effects of a nuclear explosion on military and civilian systems and equipment. Such tests provided the basic knowledge, in particular on the blast and thermal effects of nuclear explosions.

In 1963 the "Limited Test Ban Treaty" entered into force. This treaty prohibits nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, space and underwater, thus ending the nuclear weapons effects test series. As a consequence, new methods and simulation techniques were needed for further investigations and studies in the field of the blast and thermal effects of nuclear explosions.

Based on the already well-known shock tube technique, blast simulators of various designs and sizes as well as thermal pulse simulators were developed and used. In a first phase, scientific results from these activities were presented and discussed in the context of the already existing "International Shock Tube Symposium". But it was soon realized that there was a requirement for a more specialized meeting which would be limited to scientists with a military focus, interested in the use of blast and thermal simulators. The MABS Symposia were born! The initial scope of the conference included the following topics which remained almost unchanged until the end of the Cold War:

military requirements for tests in blast simulators
design of blast simulators (any device used to simulate blast waves of large scale explosions)
specialized instrumentation or techniques
test results
comparison between simulation and field trials
new or proposed simulation facilities, instrumentation or techniques

From MABS 1 to MABS 3 the primary interest focussed on the "Military Applications of Blast Simulators"

For MABS 4 to MABS 13, a more general formulation was chosen: "Military Applications of Blast Simulation"

After the end of the Cold War the interest in specific nuclear topics declined. The investigation of the phenomenology and effects of conventional explosions became more important. This is demonstratet by the new denomination for further MABS Symposia: "Military Aspects of Blast and Shock".

Throughout their history MABS Symposia have proven to be most successful conferences providing the international blast community places to meet and opportunities to present, to discuss and to exchange information, leading to what can be called an "international blast culture".

The following table provides an overview of all MABS Symposia, where and when they took place and which were the organizing institutions.

MABS 1: Military Applications of Blast Simulators	Alberta, Canada	18 – 21 July, 1967	Defence Research Establishment Suffield
MABS 2: Military Applications of Blast Simulators	Dahlgren, Virginia , U.S.A.	2 – 5 November, 1970	The Naval Weapons Laboratory
MABS 3: Military Applications of Blast Simulators	Schwetzingen, Germany	19 – 21 September, 1972	Ernst Mach Institut, Freiburg and Akademie für Wehrverwaltung und Wehrtechnik, Mannheim
MABS 4: Military Applications of Blast Simulation	Southend-on-Sea, England	9 – 12 September, 1974	Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Foulness
MABS 5: Military Applications of Blast Simulation	Stockholm, Sweden	23 – 26 May, 1977	Fortifikationsförvaltningen
MABS 6: Military Applications of Blast Simulation	Cahors, France	25 – 29 June, 1979	Centre d'Etude de Gramat
MABS 7: Military Application of Blast Simulation	Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada	13 - 17 July, 1981	Defence Research Establishment Suffield
MABS 8: Military Application of Blast Simulation	Spiez, Switzerland	20 – 24 June, 1983	AC-Laboratorium Spiez
MABS 9: Military Application of Blast Simulation	Oxford, England	23 – 27 September, 1985	Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Foulness
MABS 10: Military Application of Blast Simulation	Bad Reichenhall, Germany	21 – 25 September, 1987	Erprobungstelle 52 der Bundeswehr Oberjettenberg and Ernst Mach Institut Freiburg
MABS 11: Military Application of Blast Simulation	Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A.	10 – 15 September, 1989	Ballistic Research Laboratory and Defense Nuclear Agency
MABS 12: Military Application of Blast Simulation	Perpignan, France	22 – 27 September, 1991	DGA / DRET Centre d'Etude de Gramat
MABS 13: Military Application of Blast Simulation	The Hague, The Netherlands	13 – 17 September, 1993	Klvl and TNO-Prins Maurits Laboratory
MABS 14: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S.A.	10 – 15 September, 1995	Defense Nuclear Agency
MABS 15: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Banff, Alberta, Canada	14 – 19 September, 1997	DRDB, Defence Research Establishment Suffield
MABS 16: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Oxford, England	10 – 15 September, 2000	Cranfield University, Royal Military College of Science
MABS 17: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.	10 – 14 June, 2002	Defense Threat Reduction Agency
MABS 18: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Bad Reichenhall, Germany	27 September – 1 October, 2004	Wehrtechnische Dienststelle für Schutz- und Sondertechnik
MABS 19: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Calgary, Alberta,Canada	01 – 06 October, 2006	Defence Research & Development Canada (DRDC)Suffield
MABS 20: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Oslo, Norway	31 August – 05 September, 2008	Norwegian Defence EstatesAgency, Swedish Research Agency, Swedish National Fortification Administration
MABS 21: Military Aspects of Blast and Shock	Jerusalem, Israel	03 – 08 October, 2010	Protective Technologies Research and Development Center, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU-PTR&DC)