Net Explosive Weight can refer to the total amount of energetic material in a given item and may apply to which of the following?

• A. A single ammunition item
• B. A pallet
• C. A box of munitions
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Net Explosive Weight measures the total energetic material contained in a unit. Because this quantity reflects how much energy material is present, it isn’t tied to the size of the item alone but to the unit that holds the material. So a single ammunition item has its own NEW, a pallet loaded with multiple items has a NEW equal to the sum of the NEWs of all items on that pallet, and a box containing munitions likewise has a NEW equal to the total NEW of its contents. A packaging unit—whether it’s an individual item, a pallet, or a box—represents a container of energetic material, and the regulatory or safety calculations use the total NEW of that unit. Therefore, Net Explosive Weight can refer to a single item, a pallet, or a box, i.e., all of the above. For example, if each item has 5 g NEW and there are 10 items on a pallet, the pallet’s NEW is 50 g; if a box contains 4 items of 5 g each, the box’s NEW is 20 g.