Summary of the impact

The Leeds unit's MoD-funded research programme in hypervelocity impact dynamics has: saved the MoD two years in ballistic development and £1.5m-£2m in costs; guaranteed robustness and reliability of MoD computations; enabled the MoD to deliver advanced research output cost- effectively under severe budgetary pressures; continued to underpin a £4m annual income for the MoD's War Technology consultants QinetiQ; provided the MoD with a world-leading explosion- simulation capability. MoD codes underpinned by the Leeds research have, during the REF period, led to a reduction in front-line casualties of British Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and enabled government agencies to make quantifiable assessments of threats to transport and public-building infrastructure, e.g. in the planning of the 2012 Olympic Games. QinetiQ have used the codes with industry to develop a new explosive perforator for oil extraction that has: "halved the R&D process, time-to-market and cost of oil-well exploitation"; improved oil flows by 30-40% in tests undertaken by oil companies, and; yielded substantial (but confidential, see §4e) recurrent licensing royalties.