FROM THE AAE
We are not trading off lethality and survivability for reduced environmental impact, we are getting both!
nitions production. This approach addresses the issue of costly waste disposal, ensures a reliable supply of critical chemicals onsite and reduces dependence on overseas suppliers.
• Using fewer toxic materials: JPEO A&A chemists have come up with new formulations to reduce the use of heavy metals or other harmful chemicals. This includes removing lead from percussion primers used in small arms ammunition, mercu- ry in obstacle-breaching explosives or naphthalene in black smoke simulators. Interestingly, the naphthalene was replaced by a far more benign compound: sugar.
• Lightweight polymer ammunition: Lightweight polymer ammunition will reduce the consumption of brass for shell casings, which will cut costs and also significantly reduce weight for our warfighters, land vehicles and aircraft. Proj- ect Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems (PM MAS) has worked closely with the Marine Corps on the advancement of .50-caliber MK323, which reduces cartridge weight and link weight by around 26%. The Marine Corps has demonstrated the MK323 to be a well-performing alternative to legacy cartridges. To support life cycle sustainability, the Joint Light Weight Integrated Product Team has planned further studies in fiscal year 2024 to improve recycling processes to produce pellets for 3D printing and injection molding to produce parts, including ammunition casing. In collaboration with the Marine Corps, PM MAS has executed multiple milestones to support transition of the MK323 to the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA). PM MAS is projecting transition to the SMCA in fiscal year 2026.
PEO GCS has made great progress in making production more environmentally friendly.
• Reducing the use of carcinogenic materials–cadmium and hexavalent chromium: We are working with Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Develop- ment Command (DEVCOM) and the Watervliet Arsenal in New York to replace the use of hexavalent chromium with trivalent chromium in the production of heavy
cannon and mortars. The multiyear conversion of its manufacturing processes should be complete by 2028. PEO GCS is also working to transition from using cadmium as well as hexavalent chrome finishes to zinc nickel for rust- resistant finishes for fasteners. This strategy was piloted on the Paladin M109A6 and primarily focuses on iden- tifying alternative coatings for fasteners. PEO GCS is working with industry partners to develop technical specifi- cations and identify sources for zinc nickel-finished fasteners.
PEO GCS also aims to make the manufacturing process itself far more energy efficient.
• Coreless induction furnaces: The Army plans to replace all eight old casting furnaces at Rock Island Joint Manufactur- ing Technology Center (JMTC) with high-efficiency coreless induction furnaces. Instead of heating and melting metal using the external application of heat through electric arcs or flame, these furnaces use electromagnetic induction to produce heat directly in the metal. This green furnace technology is far more energy efficient, controllable and flexible than alternative furnace technologies. This conversion is significant because the JMTC is the Army’s only foundry and produces castings for Abrams tanks, Navy ships and the Defense Logistics Agency among other customers.
• Sonic vapor degreasers: The Army has purchased two sonic vapor degreasers to clean parts and equipment at Anniston Army Depot, which services combat vehicles, locomotives, nontactical generators and small caliber weapons. The clean- ing process usually depends upon use of volatile solvents, but sonic cleaning technology uses nontoxic chemicals instead. This system provides better results and protects the health of depot workers as well as the environment.
DIGITALLY GREEN Te Army’s effort to increase combat effectiveness and reducing our impact on the environment doesn’t always involve replacing old equipment, techniques or materials. Sometimes it involves— at least temporarily—replacing the training grounds themselves.
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