Navy center works to keep energetics industrial base moving.

• Author: Krivitsky Darrin
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT

A US. submarine fired two unarmed Trident missiles on June 2 as part of its certification for redeployment in the US. nuclear triad.

Industry manufactured most of the missiles' components--one exception being an energetic material called "ABL 2434," a casting powder in gas generators that power launch.

The only organization in the United States that can produce this material is the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head explosive ordnance disposal technology division.

Energetics are energy-releasing chemical materials, like explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics. They are central to weapons, determining range, time-to-target and various intended effects. They are also hard to develop and produce--and few do it. The division develops energetics and related items for undersea, sea surface, land and air munitions. It also speeds production, either by helping industry or doing the manufacturing itself It bridges gaps in the defense industrial base to get energetics into use--a bridge that will become even more important in the future.

Just developing energetics is hard. It takes special equipment, facilities and practices. It also demands scientists, with at least five to 10 years of experience and mentor-ship in an empirical, trial-and-error process, similar to pharmaceutical development. Chemists begin design at the molecular level and then synthesize ingredients. Formulations follow, with additives used to modify energy releases and bind and stabilize materials. These formulations change if employment means, intended effects and/or environments change. Chemists then scale up, testing larger amounts, seeing if they work as intended.

Development also takes time. For example, the thermobaric munition--which creates heat and pressure and was first used in 2002 against Taliban hidden in deep and winding Afghan caves--resulted from research and development begun decades before at Indian Head.

The division develops 13 explosive types in 47 Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy weapons, which encompasses 75 percent of explosives in U.S. weapons. It also developed cartridge/propellant activated devices that rapidly initiate ejection seats and even fire extinguishers. Today, it supports these devices on more than 11,000 defense aircraft.

Any technology's challenge is going from lab to production--especially energetic materials. It means taking an explosive or propellant, developed in small amounts, and manufacturing large, uniform quantities that...