Three WOME technical assessments: Iowa Army Ammunition Plant emergency safety pause over legacy lead azide primary explosive stocks; a corroded 25mm M792 HEI-T round recovered at Palm Springs Airport requiring EOD Blow-in-Place disposal; and the US Army’s programme to adapt 30mm proximity-fuzed ammunition for counter-UAS engagement from existing combat platforms.
KCRG News | 1 April 2026
The IAAAP paused all operations from 12–27 March 2026 to address on-site stocks of lead azide (Pb(N3)2), a primary explosive classified HD 1.1A, no longer used in active production. The material — sensitive to impact (150 mm drop), friction, and ESD (7 mJ) — is stored in earth-covered magazines. An emergency RCRA permit was filed with the EPA, creating dual military-environmental regulatory oversight of the disposal process.
Read Full AnalysisPalm Springs Today | 31 March 2026
TSA screening identified a corroded 25×137mm HEI-T cartridge containing approximately 32 g of HEI fill in checked luggage. The M758 PD/SD fuze was in an indeterminate state due to extensive corrosion and absent markings. Riverside County EOD conducted BIP disposal at a remote desert location — the correct ALARP response for ordnance with an unverifiable fuze condition.
Read Full AnalysisDefense One | March 2026
The Ammunition and Energetics programme is fielding three proximity-fuzed 30mm round variants — XM1211 HEP (ground), XM1225 APEX (aviation), and XM1223 MMPA (multi-mode) — enabling Bradley, Stryker, and Apache platforms to engage sUAS without hardware modification. The Apache completed its first air-to-air live-fire engagement with 30mm proximity ammunition at Yuma Proving Ground in December 2025.
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