Fuze conference to mark 60th anniversary.

• Author: Hertlein, Bob
• Position: NDIA News - Conference news

The National Defense Industrial Association will celebrate one of its longest running events this spring when the Munitions Technology Division kicks off the 60th annual Fuze Conference May 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Fuze Section of the Munitions Technology Division has held this event each year since 1956, except for 2013 when it was canceled due to cutbacks mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011.

The Fuze Section was formed as a group under the Munitions Technology Division of NDIA's predecessor, the American Ordnance Association, in the mid 1950s. The meetings were held at the Pacific Missile Test Center, now known as the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division at Point Mugu, California. Government participants came from around the country and included personnel from the Naval Ordnance Laboratories, Naval Surface Weapons Center at China Lake, Eglin Air Force Base, Picatinny Arsenal, Redstone Arsenal and Harry Diamond Laboratories.

A variety of industry representatives participated as well, including personnel from companies such as Texas Instruments, Lockheed, Eastman Kodak, Raytheon and Stewart-Warner. Classified sessions were common in the beginning but fell out of favor due to venue limitations and the administrative burden.

The annual event, which eventually outgrew the Point Mugu location, was organized by a volunteer steering committee comprised of fuze industry, prime contractor and government representatives. The committee still stands with a well-organized plan for leadership succession and membership recruiting that was established in the early 1970s.

This structure, together with strong support from senior management in both government and industry, ensures continuity. Today, the steering committee has about two dozen members and is responsible for organizing each annual event, with event planning and communication services provided by NDIA personnel.

The annual events are held in a different city each year and are typically attended by 250 to 300 government and industry representatives. Foreign governments and companies are also invited to attend and present, making each event a truly valuable opportunity for collaboration between designers, manufacturers, integrators, procurement officials and users.

The fuzing industry has weathered significant challenges over the years. In the late 1980s, over 30 companies were actively manufacturing fuzes. Prominent among them were large firms such as Motorola, Kodak, General...