Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions Ltd

Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions Ltd is a company specifically created to undertake ammunition and weapons stockpile destruction. The company employs retired Ammunition Technical Officers and Ammunition Technicians trained at the Army School of Ammunition in the UK to undertake the logistical destruction of ammunition. Understanding how ammunition and weapons function is a prime consideration when dealing with the destruction and reverse engineering of these dangerous items.

Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions Ltd completed a reverse engineering project for the United States Department of State in central southern Albania. The company joined together with K.M. Polican (the factory which produced all Albanian made ammunition) to reverse engineer 3000 tons of 82mm mortar ammunition.

Demilitarisation Machinery

The installation of the Transportable Ammunition Destruction System (TRADS) at the factory also enabled the company too destroy small arms ammunition upto and including 14.5mm ammunition in an environmentally benign manner. The TRADS incinerates up to 45000 rounds per hour depending on the type of ammunition which equates to one ton of ammunition per hour on a normal working day and was designed and built by the company in association with Caldo Engineering with whom the company has a long and trusted relationship.

The TRADS (which is built into a forty foot container) comes complete with all infrastructures so that the user can place the system on the ground and within forty eight hours have the system working destroying ammunition. The system has wind down legs as well as lifting points that enable the system to be jacked up from the delivery vehicle without the need for a crane or it can be craned if the user requires. Once the task is complete it can be transported to the next project.

Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions Ltd is in the research and development  stages of a fuze destruction system, also based on the forty foot container with a destruction rate of four fuzes per minute. This system will also have the infrastructure and the lifting legs the same as the TRADS and is manufactured within a teaming arrangement with Caldo Engineering one of the world leaders of ceramic filtration design and installation. Their engineering and build facility enables the companies to bring together the best of the ammunition and engineering fields without over stretching either company from its core business.

Explosion Aftermath Clearance

The company is currently working with the International Trust Fund (ITF) undertaking a clearance operation in Gerdec, Albania where four explosions at an ammunition unpacking facility killed 26 people and injured hundreds more. Over two hundred house were damaged or had to be demolished. In all a total of 90 acres of land is to be remediated before being returned to the Government of Albania. This is a difficult and demanding process as it is in the centre of a residential area. This limits operations considerably due to the proximity of the local population. Recovery of approximately 1000 shell per month is ongoing. The company employs five International consultants and fifty local workers almost all of them from the ammunition disciplines within the Albanian Armed Forces, with whom we are working very closely with on this project. Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions ltd has developed clearance procedures specific to the task and methodology that can be used in other scenarios.

MANPADs and Air Dropped Bombs

In Montenegro Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions Ltd dismantled BL 755 cluster bombs and sea mines. Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions Ltd also destroyed 1500 Manpads for the United States Department of State with whom we have worked together with for the last seven years. Manpads destruction has also taken place in Albania where the Albanian Armed Forces assisted the consultants in the registering and destruction process to destroy over 100 MANPADs.

It is a fact that Open Burning and Open Detonation (ODOB) is not an environmentally friendly option as reverse engineering. That said there are certain types of ammunition and scenarios where OBOD is the only option. Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions ltd has developed its OBOD procedures to take the best care of the environment as is humanly possible and works closely with the host country and donors to ensure all is done to protect the environment.

Weapons Destruction

Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions ltd has undertaken weapons destruction programmes that reduce the weapons to scrap to prevent use or sale to organisations that lean towards terrorism and criminal activities. So far 175000 have been destroyed in Albania and another 10000 in Senegal by the company. The weapons are destroyed using methods that totally destroy any part of the weapon from being used for its intended purpose.

Quality, Safety and the Environment.

Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions ltd has strict safety quality and environmental guidelines that are in line with US and UK governmental regulations. These guidelines are employed irrespective of which country operations are undertaken. Demilitarisation procedures are also allied to the NATO and UK regulations regarding ammunition and weapons safety and disposal.

Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions ltd works closely with the client and donors to make sure all aspects of the task run as they would wish, and also in keeping with local traditions and laws etc. The company understands there are many factors to consider before, during and after the task is completed. Explosive and Ordnance Demilitarisation Solutions ltd aims to make sure the task goes as all parties involved wish it too and with the minimum of disruption to local normality.