JPG - About Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Explosive ordnance is any munition, weapon delivery system, or ordnance items that contain explosives, propellants, and chemical agents. No active chemical agent testing has ever been performed at JPG.

UXO consists of these same items:

After they are armed or otherwise prepared for action.
Are launched, placed, fired, or released in any way that they caused hazards.
Remain unexploded either through malfunction or design.

What types of UXO have been used for weapons systems testing and troop training?

All shapes, sizes, and types of explosive ordnance have been used, including the types described below.

Small arms munitions - These munitions contain projectiles 0.5 inches or less in caliber and no longer than 4 inches. They are fired from various sizes of weapons, such as pistols, carbines, rifles, automatic rifles, shotguns, and machine guns.
Hand grenades - These are small explosive-or chemical-type munitions that are designed to be thrown at short range. All grenades have three main parts: a body, a fuse with a pull ring and safety clip assembly, and a filler.
Rockets - A rocket uses gas pressure from rapidly burning material (propellant) to transport a payload (warhead) to a desired location. Rockets can range from 1.5 inches to more than 15 inches in diameter and 1 foot to 9 feet in length. All rockets contain a warhead section, a motor section, and a fuse. They are unguided after launch and stabilized during flight by canted nozzles or fins attached to the motor. Fusing may be time-delay, impact, or proximity types.
Guided missiles - These missiles are similar to rockets; however, guided missiles are guided to their targets by systems using radar, video, or wire guides. These missiles are usually stabilized by fins controlled by internal electronics.
Projectiles - Projectiles range from 1 inch to 16 inches in diameter and 2 inches to 4 feet in length. Projectile fuses can be located in the nose or in the base. Like rockets, projectiles may be stabilized during flight by fins or bands fixed around the circumference of the projectile.
Mortars - These range from 1 inch to 11 inches in diameter and can contain explosives, toxic chemicals, white phosphorus, or illumination flares. Mortars have thinner metal casing than projectiles, but use the same types of fusing and stabilization.
Projected grenades - Contain high explosives and use a variety of fuses, including some of the most sensitive internal impact fusing systems. The most common and dangerous projected grenade is the 40 millimeter grenade, which can exploded if moved or handled.
Rifle grenades - Rifle grenades are similar in appearance to mortars and range from 9 to 17 inches in length. They may contain high explosives, white phosphorus, riot-control agent, illumination flares, or chemicals that produce colored screening smoke. Rifle grenades are fired from standard infantry rifles and rely on impact fusing.
Submunitions - Include bomblets, grenades, and mines filled with explosives or chemical agent. Submunitions are spread over a large area by dispensers, missiles, rockets, or projectiles. Activation can occur by various methods including pressure, impact, or movement. Some submunitions may contain a self-distract fuse. Stabilization can be provided by an arming ribbon, parachute, or fin assembly.
Bombs - Bombs range from 1 to 3,000 pounds in weight and 3 to 10 feet in length. All bombs generally have the following components: a metal container, a fuse, and a stabilizing device. The metal container holds the explosive or chemical filler

Photo of unexploded ordnance on ground How does UXO appear in the environment?

UXO can be at the ground surface, partially buried, or completely buried.
UXO may appear in parts or in fragments.
UXO may be present as an isolated munitions or as one of many. These munitions may be intact or in parts.

What should you do if you see a UXO?

Do not continue to move toward a suspected UXO. Some UXO are sensitive to motion and could explode even if you come too near.
Do not move or disturb UXO. It could explode, resulting in injury or death.
Do not move any object on or near UXO. UXO can become unstable over time and detonate with any motion.
Note the location. Note the direction, any landmarks, or other features that would aid in locating the UXO.
Leave the UXO hazard area. If you see UXO leave the area immediately - other UXO may be present.
Report the UXO to the Site Manager. If the Site Manager is not available, report the UXO to the local law enforcement agency.
Stay away from areas of known or suspected UXO. Do not enter fenced areas or areas with posted UXO warnings. This is the best way to prevent injury.

How is UXO detected and characterized?

The technologies available to detect and characterize UXO vary in terms of the types and depth of UXO they can detect, the topography for which they can be used, and their overall effectiveness. Several technologies are described below.

Magnetometry - Magnetometers are used to locate buried ordnance by detecting irregularities in the earth's magnetic field caused by ferrous (iron-based) materials in the ordnance. There are various types of magnetometers, many of which are used to improve detection sensitivity under varying soil conditions. They can be hand-held, man-portable, towed by a vehicle or mounted on aircraft and many include navigation systems to determine location. Magnetometer components include a detection sensor, power supply, computer data system, and a means to record the locations of detected anomalies. The effectiveness of magnetometers depends on their sensitivity, the distance between the sensor and UXO, the amount of ferrous material in the UXO, background magnetic noise, and site-specific soil properties. Recent tests indicate that hand-held and vehicle-towed magnetometers detect between 50 and 83 percent of the ordnance present, with a false alarm detection ratios of 10 (50 percent detection rate) and 4 (83 percent detection rate).
Ground penetrating radar - Ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems include a transmitter unit, receiving unit (antenna), control unit, and display and recorder unit. The transmitter produces short pulses of electromagnetic energy that are directed toward the ground. As the energy pulses travel into the ground, buried objects reflect the signals back to the receiving unit where they are recorded and processed into an image. The performance of GPR depends on numerous factors, including the density and type of vegetative cover, soil and vegetation water content, and topography. Of the GPR systems tested at one site, none effectively detected UXO because of wet clay soils. Detection rates were 1 to 5 percent., with false alarm ratios of 28 and 3, respectively.
Electromagnetic induction - Electromagnetic induction systems transmit electric current into the soil to detect metallic (ferrous and nonferrous) objects. The systems measure either the secondary magnetic field induced in metals objects or the difference between the electrical conductivity of the soil and the electrical conductivity of buried objects such as UXO. The components of an electromagnetic induction system include transmitting and receiving units, a power supply, a computer data acquisition systems, and a system to record anomaly locations. The system performance depends on the distance between the transmitter-receiver assembly and the UXO and the size of the UXO. Testing indicates that this technology was capable of detecting between 11 and 85 percent of the ordnance detected with a false alarm ratio of 13 and 5, respectively.
Infrared sensors - Infrared sensors identify objects by measuring their thermal signatures. Infrared sensor performance depends on the type and density of vegetative cover, weather conditions, time of day, and specific size and properties of the UXO. To date, this technology has shown a minimal ability to characterize UXO.
Multiple sensors - Combining two or more sensor technologies into a multisensor approach has been demonstrated to improve UXO detection and characterization. For example, magnetometers and electromagnetic sensors, when combined, could detect between 65 and 72 percent of the ordnance present, with false alarm ratios of 9 and 21, respectively.

What technologies are available to remove UXO?

Historically, UXO removal has involved manual methods that are very labor-intensive. Over the past 20 years, efforts have focused on increased mechanization to improve efficiency and enhance operator safety. UXO removal technologies included manual methods, mechanized systems, and remote-controlled systems.

Manual methods - Manual methods are performed entirely without mechanized equipment and include the use of shovels and other digging tools to excavate soil and expose potential UXO. These methods, which work best for near-surface and shallow subsurface UXO, require additional detection activities be conducted to confirm UXO removals and increase the probability of removing all UXO present.
Mechanized systems - Mechanized systems use excavators, bulldozers, front-end loaders, and other heavy construction equipment to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of removal operations. This approach offers a higher degree of worker safety than manual systems since the machine separates the UXO and operator.
Remote-controlled systems - Telerobotic and autonomous systems are used to remove the operator outside of the immediate hazard area, thereby providing additional safety for workers. Remote-controlled systems typically include a navigation and positioning component, usually a global positioning system with an inertial navigation system to increase the system's navigation capability. Remote-controlled systems can be slow and require operation in areas where equipment can be easily maneuvered.

What are the impediments to UXO clearance?

There are two impediments to efficient and effective clearance of UXO: (1) cost and (2) lack of efficient and effective UXO characterization and excavation technologies. With current technology, the cleanup of UXO and explosives residues is a labor intensive, dangerous, and expensive process. Although costs typically range from$3,000 to $7,000 per acre, these costs are significantly influenced by how the land will be used and the extent of contamination.

In 1994, the Army estimated the cost to clean up about 53,650 acres at JPG could range from $216 million (~$4,000 per acre) for limited public access to $7.8 billion (~$1.4 million per acre) for unrestricted use.. However, the value of the land for unrestricted use is about $25 million, well below the expected costs for cleanup.

A Department of Defense and Department of the Army award wining educational video explaining UXO and related safety precautions is available for use. Please contact:

jpg@seidata.com
812-273-2551 (voice)
812-273-2853 (fax)

UXO Information Card and Color Brochure

Copies available from the JPG Site Management Team.

UXO Information Card - Side 1

UXO Information Card - Side 2