This report describes a study aimed at completing the preliminary testing on aerial flash bangs, to gain basic knowledge and determine their applicable use.
The authors of this report present a review of literature and lay out the data collection and methodology for this preliminary study on aerial flash bangs, and report findings including observed malfunctions and issues in manufacturing. The goal of the study was to complete preliminary testing to gain basic knowledge and applicable use of aerial flash bangs, which are derived from the concepts of bird bangs that are used for scaring birds away from unwanted areas such as runways. The authors note several variables that were recorded and observed during the testing including time delay, malfunctions, and anomalies. The most prevalent observation the authors found was that aerial flash bangs lack consistency with time delay and were difficult to aim. The most significant finding was a discrepancy between the manufacturing date of the pyrotechnic inside the 12 gauge shell and the stated manufacturing date of the shell itself, leading to field usage of munitions that were expired by a decade or more.