Research status and development trend of MEMS S&A devices: A review

Abstract MEMS Safety-and-Arming (S&A) device is the new generation of S&A device which integrates the mechanism of actuation and barrier. The features of minimized structure and easy integration make it to be the indispensable support to the development of weapon miniaturization, integration and intelligence. As a key component in the new generation weapon system, the sound development of MEMS S&A devices will have a significant impact on the future national defense system. Herein, the research status and development trend of MEMS S&A devices are introduced in this paper. From literature review on various MEMS S&A devices, it can be seen that the researches have evolved from individual components to system integration, and many prototypes have the potential for live-fire testing. Different driven principles and structures of the MEMS S&A devices are compared and summarized. At present, the MEMS S&A device can realize the mutual integration of the driving mechanism and the blocking mechanism on the micron level. In the future, with the establishment of new design criteria, MEMS S&A devices will develop from prototypes to practical applications, which will further promote the integration and intelligent of weapon systems.