THE HYPERSONIC AND THE CAVE


Ready and reliable munitions equal readiness, lethality and victory in the physical battle domains.


because the facilities were designed, approved and built to handle lower-NEW shipments in an era with older equipment.


For those unfamiliar with the concept, net explosive weight is not the actual weight of the munition, but rather the total mass of the contained explosive substances minus all the packaging, casings, etc. If muni- tions are stored in magazines affected by water intrusion or pests, such as mice or bats, then quality suffers. Bat droppings corrode electronics, likely rendering the munitions unusable. Tose items damaged by water or pests may not be suitable for immediate use by the warfighter, requiring costly and time-consuming refurbish- ment, repair or destruction of severely degraded munitions deemed beyond economic repair.


If a production facility is not approved for the net explosive weight it is needed to produce, yet another limiting factor is introduced to the equation.


Te infrastructure that supports our muni- tions enterprise is equally as important to our military’s readiness as the munitions themselves. Without serviceable ammu- nition at the point of need, our combat aircraft, main battle tanks and artillery systems are merely giant paperweights.


CLIMATE CONTROL NEEDED Some of our emerging weapon systems are much larger and more sensitive than a basic 2,000-pound bomb. Terefore, the physical size and internal climate of our storage facilities are important concerns


30 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2020


to address. A touch of rust on a “dumb” munition may have little to no effect on its functionality, but it is unlikely to instill confidence in the airman or sailor load- ing it onto an aircraft’s bomb rack. More importantly, a high-humidity environ- ment may severely damage the sensitive electronics designed into many modern smart munitions, costing time, money and overall readiness.


What if magazines are too small, or cannot be accessed by special handling equipment, such as modern forklifts? We may find ourselves in possession of


expensive weapon systems without a suit- able home. Imagine trying to move a 32-foot container full of sensitive electron- ics into a concrete, cavelike storage room with a concrete berm 10 feet in front of it. It would be physically impossible to maneuver the container through the door. And water intrusion—leaks or flooding— and bat droppings would seriously corrode the electronics, rendering them useless.


LEADING THE WAY All of these factors and more must be taken into consideration in our modernization planning, prioritization and execution, preferably during development. Retrofit- ting existing facilities with temperature and humidity controls—either active, or more effective passive controls—will be critical to munitions readiness in most environments. Also key to moderniza- tion success, near and long term, will be demolishing old smaller magazines such


OLD SCHOOL


A black powder magazine, constructed in 1943, is limited in size, explosive storage capabilities, electrical services and environment controls.


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