UTILIZATION PROCESS STATE OF AMMUNITION WITH EXPIRED STORAGE TERM IN REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA TO 2005

‘G. S. RAKOVSKY’ DEFENSE AND STAFF

COLLEGE

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH INSTITUTE

SOFIA, BULGARIA

‘G.S. RAKOVSKY’ DEFENSE AND STAFF COLLEGEDEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH INSTITUTE

‘ARMAMENT, TECHNICS AND AMMUNITION’ DEPARTMENT

UTILIZATION PROCESS STATE OF AMMUNITION WITH EXPIRED STORAGE TERM IN REPUBLIC

OF BULGARIA TO 2005

Prof. D.Sc. Christo Christov

Defence Advanced Research Institute inthe ‘G.S. Rakovski’ Defence and Staff College, Sofia, Bulgaria

* For publication with the MoD of the Republic of Bulgaria permission



The contents

1. Introduction.2. Program for Utilization and Destruction of Unwarranted

Ammunition in the Territory of Republic of Bulgaria.3. Quantity of Conventional Ammunition in the Expired Term.4. Technological Possibilities for Utilization of the Conventional

Ammunition in the Expired Term.5. Acts on Environment Preservation in Utilization of Conventional

Ammunition in the Expired Term.6. Conclusion.



1. INTRODUCTIONThe plenty of unwarranted ammunition is kept in units of:- the Ministry of Defence,- the Ministry of Interior and- the complex of the military works in Republic of Bulgaria.The concept ‘The Unwarranted Ammunition’ (UWA), in accordance with ‘The Program for Utilization and Destruction of an Unwarranted Ammunition in the Territory of the Republic Bulgaria’ (the Program) means an ammunition which have more than 30 years state on arm or after manufacture, it kept long time in storages or outside of them, or unrealized in the military business, in which had come in storage time irreversible physical and chemical changes.

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The UWA are dangerous and economically unprofitable for the following reasons:

1. The UWA are unpredictable as a result in proceeding irreversible processes in their accoutrements - explosion and ecological accident in area of their storage.2. The UWA storage area there are close to populated area and this raises probabilities for a human victim at incidents;3. The UWA storage increases probability of the non-authorized access up to an ammunition and their use for the terrorist purpose after that.4. The UWA need of storage and preservation under the same conditions, as well as a working life ammunition. This lead up to significant financial expenses, approximately about € 2,5 - 3 million for one year.5. In spite of the charge on materials and the financial assets for the UWA utilization can not be restored from realization of the taken materials from ammunition, the earned secondary materials on utilization and the storage charges, the restoration materials and the moral loss at incidents with ammunition many times exceed the first one.

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Therefore, the delay of UWA utilization is:

1. Economically disadvantage;2. Threaten of the population regions safety where the storage has made;3. Make dangerous preconditions for harmful influence on a nature.

The process of utilization has to have the following basic requirements: safety all activities and nature preservation in accordance with norms and laws in the Republic of Bulgaria and in the European Union.

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2. PROGRAM FOR UTILIZATION AND DESTRUCTION OF UNWARRANTED AMMUNITION IN THE TERRITORY OF REPUBLIC

OF BULGARIAThe Republic of Bulgaria is a member of organization, which treats utilization questions of the ammunition:

- the Vasenaar’s Agreement,- the Disarmament Conference in Geneva,- the Organization on the Chemical Weapon Prohibition,- the Organization of Safety and Cooperation in Europe,- the Agreement about Conventional Arms of the Countries,- the Vienna’s Document, the Resolution 46/36 L of the United Nations for the Register of Conventional Arms,

- the Protocol 2 on the Prohibition of the Use of Some Kinds of Mines in accordance with the Convention for Especially Inhumane Arms,

- the Ottawa’s Convention for Complete Prohibition Antipersonnel Mines,- the Convention for Prohibition of the Chemical and Biological Weapon.

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On the basis of these documents and according to the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria it is necessary to observe the following conformity:

1. The representatives from the Ministry of environment and water are obliged to observe what technologies and process equipment to correspond to the Bulgarian and European ecological norms for preservation of an environment;

2. The representatives from the Ministry of justice are obliged harmonize the whole program with the Bulgarian and European normative documents;

3. The experts from the Ministry foreign affair are obliged to represent the program to the international organizations and institutions and to help in maintenance of financial assets.

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‘ARMAMENT, TECHNICS AND AMMUNITION’ DEPARTMENT6

In the Program the following tasks are executed:

1. Analysis and estimation of modern methods and technologies for utilization and destructions of ammunition;

2. The analysis and estimation of the process equipment, which corresponds to new methods and technologies for utilization and destructions;

3. Estimation of methods, technologies and process equipment of the Bulgarian military industry;

4. Definition of a UWA kind, quantity and the condition, which are subject to utilization and destruction at this stage and in the long term;

5. Forecast of the results and possibilities for realization of the received secondary materials;

6. Definition of necessary capacity as a kind and place for performance of the program and their technical providing;

7. Development of the economic base for necessary financial assets for performance of the program.



In result the program meets the requirements the international forums and laws in Bulgaria.

- The analysis of the unwarranted ammunition is made as a kind, quantity, a relative part of their elements, years of their manufacture and duration of their storage, and the analysis of their technical condition is made. The basic attention is given to explosive substances and propellants. The analysis has established the UWA volume.

- The modern methods for utilization and destruction UWA are considered and the ecological problems are determined at the utilization performance. The opportunities of participation of the Military industrial units in Bulgaria and units of the Ministry of defense are determined.

- The UWA utilization is sole decision of a problem. The term of the UWA utilization is approximately 10 years from utilization start and there are necessary to have financial assets about € 30 millions. Otherwise these assets, for the same term will be spent for the UWA storage, and the problems of their safety and their harmful influence on environments will increase.



3. QUANTITY OF CONVENTIONAL AMMUNITION IN THE EXPIRED TERM

The long experience from laboratory and range tests for ammunition has established that after 30 years of ammunition storage, they are not suitable for battle usage.On this base all unwarranted ammunition is divided into 2 groups - till 1975 and after that.The quantity UWA is determined in depending on years of their manufacture. Oldest UWA have a decrease reserve of chemical stability and considerable deviation from the normal functional characteristics. It does not suppose an opportunity their participation in a complete set of ammunition.



In result, by 01.01.2005 the total quantity approximately makes:1. UWA - 76 100 tones;2. Explosives and propellants in various of the UWA - 12 400 tones,

and from them:2.1. Propellants - 7 400 tones;2.2. Explosives - 5 000 tones;3. Metal of shells and cases - 23 682 tones.4. UWA packing material - 1 556 045 numbers and their weight – 23 387 tones.The bullets for small arms (machine guns, assault rifles and pistols) have the greatest volume in the UWA – more than 98 %, after that there is classed zenith ammunition, light antitank ammunition.



The quantitative analysis shows in percentage for each kind of the UWA to the total ammunition weight:

- Bullets - 13,4 %;- Light antitank weapons - 7,1 %;- Antitank ammunition - 5,9 %;- Tank ammunition - 17,7 %;- Artillery ammunition - 16,7 %;- Antiaircraft ammunition - 24,1 %.

The tank, artillery and zenith ammunition have the largest volume for utilization - 58,5 % total.The ammunition for common army purposes the largest share – 92,3 % from total volume.



The general UWA weight for utilization is:- to 01.01.2003 approximately 69 700 tones;- to 01.01.2005 approximately 76 100 tones. For 2 years weight UWA has increased with 6 400 tones, that are

referred to 2003 year weight the rise is with 9,2 %.This rise tendency is kept as a result of reform in Bulgarian Army

Forces and the aging of the ammunition, which fill up the UWA group.

The last 2 years there are not undertaken acts for UWA utilization, in spite of rise steady of the UWA quantity. In close years, UWA utilization must to make, if not on all UWA quantity, but only to make the steady tendency of reduction of total UWA weight.

The problem of delay is financial.



The Utilized Dismounted Anti-Personal Mines Quantity

1. Anti-Personal HE Mine - approx. 362 000;2. Anti-Personal Fragm. Surrounded Mines - approx. 340 000;3. Anti-Personal Fragm. Directed Mines - approx. 29 000.

Utilized Secondary Products

1. TNT – approx. 120 tones;2. Metals – approx. 765 tones.4. Plasmas – approx. 66 tones;4. Package – approx. 4417 numbers.

Spent – approx. $ 3 700 000.Restored – approx. $ 300 000.



Anti-Personal Fragmented Surrounded Mine PSM-1

Characteristics:

1. Weight - 3,0 kg;2. Diameter - 74,6 mm;3. Fuzzed Height - 250 mm;4. Lethal Radius - 20 m;5. Probable radius – 80 m;



Anti-Personal HE Mine PMN

Characteristics:

1. Weight - 0,550 kg;2. Diameter - 87 mm;3. Fuzzed Height - 46 mm;



Anti-Personal HE Mine - Element from 120mm M21 Rocket With Cluster

Warhead

Characteristics:

1. Weight - 2,7 kg;2. Diameter - 110 mm;3. Fuzzed Height - 153 mm;4. Lethal Radius - 27 m;5. Probable radius – 100 m;



4. TECHNOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES FOR UTILIZATION OF THE CONVENTIONAL AMMUNITION

Technological possibilities of the military factories for UWA utilization are following in Bulgaria:

1. ‘VMZ’ Co. Sopot2. ‘Trema’ Co., Tryavna3. ‘Arcus’ Co., Lyaskovetz4. ‘Videx’ Co., Sofia5. ‘Dunarit’ Co., Russe 6. ‘Elovitza’ Co.,. Gabrovo 7. ‘Arsenal’ Co.,. Kazanlak 8. ‘Terem’ Co., unit Kostenetz 9. University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM), Sofia



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1. ‘VMZ’ Co. SopotThe factories is specialized in manufacture antitank and HE

ammunition for antitank light weapons, guided and non guided rockets, cumulative and HE ammunition for air and field artillery with calibre up to 152mm, fuzzes, carried antitank and anti-aircraft complexes.

The last years the factory has successful utilized antitank mines and the extracted TNT has put in the manufacture of industrial explosives.

The utilization process consists of the mechanical dismount and explosives branch from mechanical assemblies.

The propellants are given to the specialized firms for utilization or they are destroyed on range by a method of chemical decomposition.

The objects of a factory meet the requirements of the normative documents for work with dangerous materials and classified information.



2. ‘Trema’ Co., TryavnaThe factory has capacities for manufacture of ammunition with calibres from 85mm to 125mm and mines from 82mm up to 120mm. The capacities include the equipment for utilization of the defective filled shells. The specialized objects of a factory are equipped to necessary structures for protection, according to the requirement of the normative documents for work with explosive substances, arms and ammunition.The factory can remake the metal parts up to scrap, but there is not capacity and technology for processing or destruction of explosives. The factory has a separate water drain and stations for waste water clearing, which meet the requirements of the normative documents for permissible pollution.‘Trema’ Co can dismount ammunition and take of materials from ammunition with calibre from 85mm up to 125mm included, but can not remake explosives and propellants.



3. ‘Arcus’ Co., Lyaskovetz

The factory has technological equipment for utilization of all fuzzes, which are in a factory manufacture list and others, which have similar devices and applicability. The existing technologies allow making mechanical dismounting, separation pyrotechnical composition, metal or non-metal parts and sort them as well for fuzzes as ammunition with calibres up to 40mm.Factory has constructed technological platform for organization of the industrial acts on small calibre ammunition utilization. The platform is supplied basic and adding works and it is made out in an infrastructural kind. The factory has developed the idea project for the centre of utilization of ammunition.



4. ‘Videx’ Co., Sofia

The factory carries out utilization antitank mines, lengthened charges, cumulative charges and concentrated charges.



5. ‘Dunarit’ Co., Russe

The factory is specialized in development of equipment for TNT ammunition with high-viscosity mixes on TNT base. The factory has unique technologies in Bulgaria for manufacture of ammunition for air forces and more than 10 kinds of the basic artillery ammunitions with calibres from 57mm up to 122mm.The utilized equipment has low productivity, but it allows in a short term can increase its capacities up to a technological line for utilization definite ammunition. This proved in practice with utilization more than half antipersonnel mines in Bulgaria for approximately term half year.The factory invests in development the projects for UWA utilization in the last years. The projects started in utilization of defective production of a factory, and after that in utilization antipersonnel mines.'Dunarit' has a protected storage base in accordance with all norms of safety and preservation of an environment and the well studied experts. It enables ‘Dunarit’ Co. to solve the questions connected with utilization of large weight of ammunition.



6. ‘Elovitza’ Co., Gabrovo ‘Elovitza’ Co. has technological lines and installation for:- TNT ammunition dismounting;- Remaking taken TNT to a condition, which allows put it in

manufacture again;- Manufacturing of the powder-, rough disperse- and plastic

explosive substances with industrial applicability;- Manufacturing cast and pressing charges from secondary TNT with

industrial applicability.The factory can utilize the following ammunition:- Antitank mines;- Lengthened charges;- Press parts of the TNT and other composition;The factory can utilize artillery projectiles and large calibre

ammunitions at presence of the documentation for design and equipment.



7. ‘Arsenal’ Co., Kazanlak ‘Arsenal’ has technologies and process equipment for utilization and destruction of the following kinds of ammunition:- Bullets for machine guns, rifles and pistols;- Small calibres of artillery ammunition;- Mortar ammunition;- Middle calibres of artillery ammunition;- Light antitank ammunition;- Non-guided rockets;- Cumulative ammunition;- Fuzzes and Primers;- Pyrotechnical compositions and products;- Propellants.The factory has a protected storage base, which is in accordance with the normative requirements about safety and ecological norms and the well studied experts in a UWA utilization.



8. ‘Terem’ Co., unit Kostenetz The factory is specialized in repair of ammunition and its repair activity is connected to artillery ammunition. There bases the necessary process equipment and the repair technologies also are developed.The last a factory collects significant experience in UWA utilization of all calibres ammunition. On this platform the antipersonnel mines had utilized in Bulgaria. The specialized equipment is in this area for utilization ammunition, but it does not answer of the modern requirements on safety and preservation environmental nature. On the other hand, the factory has the studied specialists for UWA utilization and the good infrastructure is developed, as well as large free storage base, which can serve for a main basis for modernizing and increase of volume of utilization.



9. University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM), Sofia

The UCTM works actively in the last years in the field of UWA utilization and develops new technologies for that.The university participated with advices and experts in process of utilization of the antipersonnel mines. The ministry of a defence financed the UCTM for development of technology and installation for processing the propellants from dismounted UWA up to liquid fertilizers for agriculture.In the end of 2005 the UCTM have to develop a project of experimental installation for processing for propellants in liquid fertilizers. The UCTM reports in August 2005 for project developed design capacities for processing 1 tone propellants in liquid fertilizer in term for 1 day.



General estimation of methods and technologyThe choice of technological process for UWA utilization depends on property of explosives and propellants and the requirement about safety at their extraction. In accordance with these conditions, the ammunition are classed:1. Ammunition, where explosives are in kind of grain or blasting cartridge;2. The ammo with an explosive charge from TNT, where can smelt explosive;3. The ammunition with mixed explosive charge, which consists of the filled TNT component (not less than 20 %);4. The ammunition with mixed explosive charge, which consists of the filled TNT component (not less than 20 %);5. The ammunition with liquid, plastic and elastic explosives are there - the different systems for distance destroying of mine field, for example.From two methods - physical and chemical, there prefers physical with thermal or mechanical influence - with explosive smashing after strong cooling and adding of vibration, or explosive smelting (for TNT more often). The chemical methods are in process of modernization for manufacture of the liquid fertilizers for agriculture.



5. Acts on Environment Preservation in an Ammunition Utilization

The estimation of ecological conformity to technology is necessary for utilization and destruction of ammunition, because the ammunition are specific products and the Bulgaria has structural speciality. More important reasons are following:

- The dominate part of UWA contains dangerous substances and components with especial properties, as explosion hazard, fire-dangerous, toxically;

- The UWA are storage frequently in plenty quantity and this case is ecological risk;

- The Installations with large capacity or the precisely specialized factories for processing of the dangerous products are not built Bulgaria, but also those which work do not always carry out to the ecological requirements.

- Bulgaria is country with high density of the population and there has not place where is possibility to make UWA utilization without correspondent to the requirements for preservation of an environment.



The norm in the Bulgarian and European laws:

- The law for preservation of an environment – Оfficial Newspaper 91/2002;- The law for restraint of the harmful influenced weste on environments – О.N. 86/1997, 91/2002.;- The law for water - Оfficial Newspaper 67/1999, in addition Оfficial Newspaper 42/2003;- The law for purity of the atmospheric air – Оff.Newsp. 45/1996, in addition Оff.Newsp.102/2001;- The law for protection against harmful influence of chemical substances, preparations and products - Оfficial Newspaper 10/2000, in addition Оfficial Newspaper 91/2002;

- - Regulation № 2 about protection against failures at acts with dangerous chemical substances - Оfficial Newspaper 51/1998, in addition Оfficial Newspaper 73/1999;

- Regulation № 6 about norms of structures about allowed contents of harmful and dangerous substances in waste water, which are let out in water objects -Оfficial Newspaper 97/2000;

- Regulation № 9 about norms sulphuric dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine dust particles and lead in the atmospheric air - Оfficial Newspaper 46/1999;

- Regulation № 14 about norms about extreme allowed concentration of harmful substances in the atmospheric air in the populated places - Оfficial Newspaper 88/1999;

- The decree of ministry council № 153/1999 about remaking and transportation of the industrial and harmful waste;

- 96/61/ЕЕС the complex prevention directive and pollution control;- 78/319/ЕЕС the directive about toxically and dangerous waste.



6. CONCLUSION

6.1. The conventional ammunition with expired term to 01.01.2005 are approximately 76 100 tones on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. Their volume has increased with 6400 tones for the last 2 years. Relating to 2003 the increase is 9,2 %. This tendency is kept in result of the structural reform in Bulgarian Army Forces and constant aging of available ammunition, which fill up the UWA group. The UWA are morally and physical obsolete and in their elements there have come irreversible physical and chemical changes. It has given a reflex on their tactical and technical characteristics and has transformed UWA in threat and real danger for serving them workers, for civilians and for the environment in the storage areas.



6. CONCLUSION – continuation 6.2. The military factories In the Republic of Bulgaria and the units in the

Ministry of defence have specified possibilities and necessary producing capacity and technology, which can be used for UWA utilization. The factories available capacities and their industrial platforms meet the requirements about work in explosive condition, but not of all factories meet the requirements about preservation of an environment. The factories have necessary storage base for preservation of plenty of UWA and their components. The factories have the qualified personnel and in some of the factories there have an experience in utilization of ammunition by utilization antipersonnel mines, engineering and artillery ammunition. Therefore the UWA utilization necessary have to do differential, in accordance with possibilities of separate military factories or the centre to create on the basis of an existing already powerful industrial platform. There is necessary to watch for modernization of technologies and safety and preservations of an environment.



6. CONCLUSION – continuation6.3. The UWA utilization is not started, in spite of quantity rising of the UWA

to 76 100 tones. The reasons are financial. The program for UWA utilization needs an urgent financing for program starting of approximately € 30 million. Bulgaria can not cope itself alone with such large challenge. The technical and economic account has shown that the UWA utilization will be paid back in current approximately 10 years, if the program could be financed now. The coming years it is necessary to utilize, if not all quantity from 76 100 tones UWA, but to make the steady tendency for reduction of total volume of the UWA. The delay of this process of utilization will finish up to spend the financial assets on UWA storage and preservation, but the problem of their safety and the harmful influence on environments will rise, the risk from failures remains and is high with probable human expenses, pollution of an environment, as well as increase of probability of the unconformities access up to UWA and their use for the terrorist acts.

Thank you for attention!

Your questions, please!



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UTILIZATION PROCESS STATE OF AMMUNITION WITH EXPIRED STORAGE TERM IN REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA TO 2005

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