An ammunition dump, ammunition compound, ammunition depot or ammo dump, is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives. The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently hazardous. There is the potential for accidents in unloading, packing and transfer; the threat of theft, misuse or sabotage; and, if neglected, the near-certainty that poorly stored explosives will degrade and become shock-sensitive over time. 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 1–2 km or 1 mile) surrounding the facility, in the event of an explosion
- Perimeter security, such as a fence, to avoid casual access by unauthorized persons
- Guards equipped and in numbers relative to the potential threat from enemy forces
- Bunkers (Magazines) where ammunition is stored under lock and key
- Blast barriers (Traverses), such as an earth berm 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 max holdings of net explosive content per site.
- A loading area (Transit Building or Area) for transferring stored ammunition to and from trucks, ships, 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 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 (Demolition Range) used for the disposal by burning or detonation of defective, surplus, or obsolete ammunition and explosives.
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.
See also
- Armory (military)
- RAF munitions storage during WWII
- Weapon storage area - nuclear weapons storage area
- On french Wikipedia (about old undersee ammunition dumping)
Bibliography
About old undersee ammunition dumping (and historical pollution).
- (English) 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)
- (English) Rapport OSPAR / Évaluation 1998 – 2006 (see page 62 and more..)
- (French) Abstract of problèm of 35 000 t of ammunition dumped on Paardenmarkt bank (Belgium)
- (French) Service historique du Ministère de la Défense
