CV

Vincent Di Ricco
Project Engineer / Team Leader with unique 38 year career at the Army Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) along with 6 years as Senior Technical Expert for Project Manager's Office for Maneuver Ammunition Systems located at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. Ammunition Expert and skilled expert in the investigation and resolution of conventional military ammunition malfunctions that occur both in training and combat, stateside and worldwide. Successfully conducted or led hundreds of investigations across many various types of ammunition, including Hand Grenades, Small Caliber ammunition for hand guns and automatic weapons, Rockets both Anti-tank and Aircraft launched, 60mm and 81mm Mortars, Artillery, Simulators, Signals, Flares and more. Along with required expert investigation skills and incident reconstruction ability, it is required to have extensive knowledge of the ammunition itself as well as the design, manufacturing and quality control processes involved at the contractor level, influence of military training doctrine and human factors, and the ability to coordinate and utilize specialized scientific personnel from a variety of technical disciplines in order to resolve problems and determine solutions that will prevent reoccurrence in their use by our armed forces.

Personal Details:

  • B.S.M.E. 1965, Newark College of Engineering (NJIT)
  • 1965-2003 Army Research Development and Engineering Command, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ - Ammunition Logistics and Engineering Group
  • Project Engineer / Team Leader for Conventional Ammunition, specializing in Malfunction Investigations and attendant Manufacturing, Quality, Field and Logistics activities.
  • 2008-2014 Senior Technical Expert for Project Manager's Office for Maneuver Ammunition Systems for Small Caliber, Medium (40MM) Caliber, and Large (Tank) Caliber ammunition.
  • 2003 to current - Technical Consultant and Expert Witness providing service on ammunition related issues to the military, civilian, and legal community on a variety of ammunition items. Have served clients both in the United States as well as foreign countries, both plaintiff and defendant.

Skills and Achievements:

  • Excellent writing, speaking, and cognitive skills along with extensive knowledge (technical and corporate)on a wide array of ammunition and ammunition issues.
  • Expert on a select group of ammunition items, including all offensive hand grenades - fragmentation, concussion, flash-bang, diversionary; Small Caliber ammunition for hand guns, rifles, and automatic weapons, including M14 and M16 Rifles and .50 Caliber Machine Guns; 40MM Cartridges; Anti-Tank and Aircraft Rockets; 60mm and 81mm Mortars; Simulators, Flares, and Signals, and a variety of Non-Lethal munitions (rubber bullets, bean bags, non-lethal grenades etc.) - and more.
  • Expert on the techniques and conduct of ammunition malfunction / incident investigations, and all the processes that are required to bring such programs to successful completion, including incorporation and coordination of other skilled scientific and technical personnel. Personally conducted or led a team on hundreds of such investigations throughout his career, saving lives and recovering millions of rounds of ammunition that would have had to be otherwise destroyed.
  • Interactive throughout career with design, manufacturing and quality control groups at ARDEC responsible for providing the very best, safest, and advanced ammunition in the world, and interacted with the Army Training Command which is responsible for soldier training and field doctrine.
  • Has successfully conducted since 2003 his own Technical Consultant and Expert Witness service, providing the military, civilian, corporate, and legal community with the benefit of his expertise and special knowledge.

Qualifications:
Mr. Di Ricco has a core engineering degree supplemented by over 44 years of ammunition related on-the-job experience that has made him an outstanding Ammunition Expert in his field. He has a broad and extensive knowledge of ammunition used by the military, from both a design and manufacturing aspect, including process and quality control issues, as well as military training doctrine and human factors elements, and field handling and storage and logistic considerations. He has a tremendous "corporate knowledge" on military incidents, having researched and conducted hundreds of malfunction investigations throughout his career, and the attendant actions required to prevent their reoccurrence. These actions include development and implementation of screening procedures to identify and eliminate defective items from the stockpile, determination of renovation procedures to "make good" suspect ammunition, identify deficiencies in the manufacturing process or quality control and indicate needed changes to the Technical Data Package, assure proper and adequate instruction is provided to the Training Command to properly train our troops, and that ammunition design incorporates the needed elements of safety to the user.

Summary:
By virtue of Mr. Di Ricco's unique and extensive background, experience and expertise in a broad range of munitions used by our military forces, along with his ability to effectively research, analyze and clearly present and support technical opinions and documents, he is a clear choice as an Ammunition Technical Consultant and Expert Witness.