O-130 Quantity Distance (QD) Hazard Analysis on Deployed Missions

July 2010
Thomas N. Taylor (Munitions Safety, Transport and Storage)

Imagine a Multi-National Camp with an Ammunition Holding Area somewhere in Southeast Asia.  The site is designed to accommodate the storage of Basic Load Ammunition for a Brigade of approximately 4,000 soldiers. It has approximately 10 open storage barricaded sites.  Ammunition is packaged according to UN standards and loaded in ISO Containers.  A typical storage cell consists of four ISO Containers sitting side-by-side between Hesco-Bastion Barricades.  Cell A is one of 10 licensed sites to store 4,000 kilograms of mixed compatibility.    Intermagazine separation distance between each cell is 13 meters measured from the nearest ISO Container.  Base operations to maintain the infrastructure such as public works and utilities is the responsibility of the U.S.  The Operational Tempo is high and growth within the current footprint is imminent.  The Base Camp perimeter cannot be extended in the near term, but an Allied Force plans to occupy the area within the QD arcs of the BLAHA with combat loaded aircraft.  The Explosive Safety Officer has been summoned to perform an assessment of the risk.  What is the current procedure used in the field to perform such an assessment within a multi-national NATO led mission?  Who is informed and who will accept the risk?  Will one standard procedure be developed and used by NATO forces? The answer to these questions will be addressed.
Seventeen of the 28 NATO Nations ratified edition 1 of Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4657.1   Promulgation of the STANAG requires a majority of Nations ratifying the document thus all agreeing to apply the safety principles within AASTP-5. Nations agree that AASTP-5 will serve as a basis for national policy on storage, maintenance and transport of ammunition on deployed missions or operations and their own respective national orders, manuals and instructions will be amended to include a reference to the NATO agreement.   The agreement further states that no departure may be made from implementing the agreement unless reservations are made at time of ratifying the STANAG.  Participating Nations have access to reservation details by visiting a NATO secure website.

Presentation details

This paper was presented at the 34th DDESB Seminar held in Portland, Oregon, USA on July 13-15, 2010