NSWC IHD holds Inaugural Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Blitz

NSWC IHD holds Inaugural Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Blitz

By NSWC IHD Public Affairs

Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division's (NSWC IHD) Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Center (EODTECHCEN) hosted its first joint EOD Technology Blitz, an operational scenario-focused vendor demonstration, at Fort A.P. Hill's EOD Advanced Learning Center (ALC), July 16-21. Established from collaborative discussions between the joint EOD Equipment Review Board (ERB), vendors and EODTECHCEN, the event highlighted the value of the "user-vendor-technology advisor" relationship to close technology gaps and meet warfighter needs.

The Tech Blitz was developed to educate industry partners, provide opportunities for vendor demonstrations, document existing capabilities, and gather end-user feedback geared towards the continued use of radiographic technology used by conventional EOD forces. The event incorporated multi-lane scenarios led by EODTECHCEN's ERB members and a board consisting of members from each of the four branches of military. Civilian personnel were on hand to ensure radiation procedures and precautions were followed and to gather feedback on technology.

"Using real-life scenarios and allowing the vendors to see what an EOD tech[nician] has to deal with will help them understand what tech they need to develop," said Air Force Master Sgt. Steven Pigeon, EOD Technician and ERB chair member. "Feedback should help shorten the iteration of radiographic technology. It's a win-win for everybody."

The radiography technology vendors rotated through four-lane scenarios, demonstrating the versatility of their equipment against differing objectives set by the ERB. In each evaluation lane, EOD technicians used vendor technologies to capture X-ray profiles for hazard identification, focusing on minimizing time on target, items of interest, and hard to reach objects.

"The EOD Tech Blitz is exactly the kind of event that accelerates innovation for the joint EOD community. It brings operators, engineers, program offices and industry together in one place to rapidly evaluate emerging technologies against real operational needs," said Danielle Zimmerman, NSWC Indian Head Division's Warfighting Defense and Systems Integration department head. "For NSWC Indian Head Division, events like this reinforce our role as the bridge between the operational force and technology developers."

NSWC IHD - a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy's Science and Engineering Establishment - is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.