As a result of past military training and weapons testing activities, unexploded ordnance (UXO) exist on sites designated for Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) on Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) and other closed ranges on active installations. Munitions ranging in size from 20-mm projectiles to 2000-pound bombs can be distributed on the surface or buried at these sites showing no visible evidence of their presence. SERDP and ESTCP successfully developed and demonstrated technologies that are now widely used to detect, classify and remediate UXO on land.
The programs currently focus on UXO in the underwater environment. Ponds, lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastal ocean areas restrict access and significantly impact the performance of technologies that detect munitions. Following a decade of investment, the programs have developed emerging technologies to detect, classify, and localize UXO in the underwater environment. After testing these technologies across established demonstration sites, the programs are now transitioning to deploy them at live sites where UXO are believed to be present.
Many properties of the underwater environment interfere with the detection, characterization, and recovery of military munitions. Except at very shallow sites, munitions underwater are difficult to access. Following a decade of investment, the programs have developed emerging technologies to detect, classify, and localize UXO in the underwater environment.
SERDP and ESTCP developed and demonstrated advanced sensors, signal processing methodologies, platforms, supporting technologies, and remediation technologies to address the diverse challenges associated with the cleanup of munitions-impacted land sites.
Testing and training ranges present unique challenges for characterization, control, and treatment technologies. SERDP and ESTCP investments focus on identifying and characterizing contamination sources, as well as understanding the fate and transport of both legacy and new insensitive munitions constituents. Projects have built on this scientific basis to develop and demonstrate technologies that allow for continued operations while preventing migration of contaminants to groundwater.
