An ammunition dump, ammunition supply point (ASP), ammunition handling area (AHA) or ammunition depot is a

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

storage facility for live

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

and

explosives An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently hazardous. There is the potential for accidents in the unloading, packing, and transfer of ammunition. Great care is taken in handling these dangerous explosives so as not to harm personnel or nearby ammunition. Despite the intensive preventive measures they get, ammunition depots around the world suffer from non-combat fires and explosions. Although this is a rare occurrence, there are devastating consequences when it does happen. Usually, an ammunition depot experiencing even minor explosions in one of its sites/buildings is immediately evacuated together with surrounding civilian areas. Thus, all of the stored ammunition is left to detonate itself completely for days or weeks, with very limited attempts at

firefighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typically ...

from a safe distance.
How one conscript cost Russia $3.5 million
' If the ammunitions are

artillery shell A shell, in a military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military context. Modern usage ...

s and other heavy types, the whole depot site affected is typically leveled.

Typical elements

The typical ammo dump will have several of the following elements: *A buffer zone or cleared area of at least several hundred feet (sometimes as much as ) surrounding the facility, in the event of an explosion. *Perimeter security, such as a

fence A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length. ...

, to avoid casual access by unauthorized persons. *Guards equipped and in numbers relative to the potential threat from enemy forces. *Bunkers (sometimes referred to as igloos), or

magazines A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

, where ammunition is stored under lock and key. *Blast barriers (traverses), such as an earth

berm A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier (usually made of compacted soil) separating areas in a vertical way, especially partway up a long slope. It can serve as a terrace road, track, path, a fortification line, a border/ separation ...

or buried pit, to divert the force of the blast (typically upward, but sometimes to the side) in case the ammunition detonates. *Safety distances are calculated between storage sites (magazines) and outside infrastructure to limit damage and set maximum holdings of net explosive content per site. *A loading area (transit building or area) for transferring stored ammunition to and from

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

railway wagons A railroad car, railcar ( American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is ...

, etc. *A flooding system in large facilities to put out a fire or prevent an explosion in a magazine. *An ammunition repair facility or workshop, or maintenance inspection (M&I) will be found in many ammunition facilities. This facility is used for the repair, breakdown, inspection, and manufacture of ammunition held within or brought to the depot. *A destruction area or demolition range used for the disposal by burning or detonation of defective, surplus, or obsolete ammunition and explosives. *A missile shop specialised in inspection and repair of missiles, and pre-assembly of missile type weapons before being sent to the front line.

Field sites

Ammunition dump as a term is more commonly ascribed to sites that store munitions "in the field" for imminent or immediate use. These are often targets for enemy artillery attack or air attack.

References

External links

International Ammunition Technical Guidelines
UN Office of Safe Disarmament *
Rapport OSPAR sur les munitions immergées – (Map page 9 for Europe an OSPAR zone) Overview of Past Dumping at Sea of Chemical Weapons and Munitions in the OSPAR Maritime Area, 2005

(pdf)
OSPAR
Rapport OSPAR / Évaluation 1998 – 2006 (see page 62 and more..)
{{Authority control Military logistics

Typical elements

Field sites

See also

References

External links