Blast Overpressure Testing
At Radical Defense, we are at the forefront of the Department of Defense’s fight against blast overpressure (BOP) exposure to the warfighter. Through years of focused study on the long-term effects of BOP—both on personnel and sensitive mission-critical equipment—we’ve developed a suite of Blast Attenuation Devices (BAD) tailored for both crew-served and individual weapon systems.
Our technology is currently fielded and under development for a range of platforms including the M2A1 .50 caliber heavy machine gun, M230 chain gun, and GAU-21, delivering measurable reduction in overpressure and improving safety for operators and surrounding crew. That same approach has been scaled to the small arms level, targeting weapons such as the M4, MK18, M240, M249, and other infantry platforms where cumulative blast exposure over years of service poses significant risk to cognitive and physical health.
At Radical Defense, our goal is clear: to reduce warfighter exposure without compromising lethality or reliability. Our BAD systems are designed to attenuate blast, preserve weapon performance, and extend operator survivability—across every echelon of the fight.
For a comprehensive look at the science, impact, and solutions behind blast overpressure mitigation, please refer to our detailed white paper: