Army rejects facility sought by Dugway

The Army has halted an attempt by Dugway Proving Ground to build a facility it hoped would attract a new mission: ensuring that all U.S. munitions are safe from unintended explosions caused by enemy bullets, missiles or shrapnel.

It could have involved some potentially huge test explosions in the Utah desert.

The vast, Rhode Island-size base had proposed to build a new "Insensitive Munitions Test Grid." It would have cleared all vegetation in a circle with a diameter of 4,000 feet — 289 total acres — to allow blowing up different munitions under varying circumstances, mapping dispersal and collecting the pieces.

The base had prepared an environmental assessment that concluded the proposed new facility and testing would have no significant adverse environmental impact. But when the Deseret Morning News submitted questions about it, Dugway said higher command had pulled the plug on the overall proposal.

"We were told by our headquarters, Developmental Test Command, we will not be doing any insensitive munitions testing and all insensitive munitions testing for Developmental Test Command will go to Yuma Proving Ground" in Arizona, said Dugway spokeswoman Paula Nicholson.

An "insensitive munition" is one that will not detonate under any conditions other than its intended mission to destroy an enemy target.

If munitions are developed in ways to make them truly "insensitive" to enemy fire and heat and mechanical shock, it could lead to safer storage, handling and transportation — and allow transportation in more compact containers.

It became an increased concern when, for example, in the first Persian Gulf War most disabling damage to fighting vehicles was caused when their own munitions were triggered by enemy fire, heat or other unwanted stimuli.

The now-withdrawn environmental assessment by Dugway noted that Congress in 2001 ordered expanded insensitivity testing of all munitions in the U.S. inventory — but the document said the Defense Department had delayed it "until it has become a time-sensitive issue."

The document said, "There is a great need within DoD to do this testing" now. It added, "This newly mandated requirement provides a unique opportunity for DPG (Dugway) to expand its . . . testing role at WDTC (West Desert Test Center) to fill this DoD need if a facility of sufficient size and capability can be provided."

It also added, "A positive economic effect might be realized as a result."