Define Net Explosive Weight (NEW) and explain how it influences safety decisions.

• A. NEW is the total weight of explosive material in a munition; it is used to determine hazard severity and related safety distances and procedures.
• B. NEW is the weight of the inert casing.
• C. NEW is the maximum permitted weight in a storage container.
• D. NEW is the weight of any propellant fluctuating due to temperature.

Answer: (A)

Net Explosive Weight is the total weight of all explosive material contained in a munition, excluding the inert casing, fuzes, or other non-explosive parts. This mass directly determines the potential blast and fragmentation hazards, so safety decisions—such as required standoff distances, handling procedures, transport classifications, and storage requirements—are largely driven by it. A larger NEW means a greater hazard and therefore stricter safety measures; a smaller NEW allows for fewer or smaller protective buffers. The other descriptions miss the core idea: the weight used for safety planning is the explosive content, not the casing, a container limit, or a temperature-dependent propellant weight.