CCDC Armaments Center

The Directed Energy Research Center is supplied with 2.5 million volt-amp power developing and testing of advanced energy based systems. Building contains a grounding grid the capability to discharge 1 million amps without damage to equipment and facilities or Picatinny Infrastructure. Two Shielded Rooms are capable of shielding against Low Frequency magnetic fields and High Power Microwaves simultaneously with secure areas allowing real-time Classified Data Processing. There are two Highbay areas for integrating technologies onto mobile platforms. Equipment and facilities include: Anechoic Chamber (EM and RF Shielded), High Bay with Crane, Ultra Short Pulse Laser Laboratory Annex, and laboratory work benches. This World Class High power Laboratory is capable of providing High Voltage and High current requirements. The Directed Energy Facility integrates specialized diagnostics and data acquisition equipment with capability of measuring and processing high power RF systems being developed for the future Warfighter

The Fuze Group's E3 team has the capability to expose systems to a wide range of severe electromagnetic environments utilizing laboratory facilities at Picatinny Arsenal and elsewhere. The systems' response to those environments is measured utilizing custom instrumentation designed and fabricated by E3 team personnel. E3 team engineers provide design guidance to ensure developmental systems will not be susceptible to electromagnetic environments to be encountered during their life cycle. Additionally, the E3 team serves as technical liaison between ARDEC elements and the Army Nuclear Survivability requirements community and test facilities. Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) ensure the safety and reliability of electrically initiated explosives in high electromagnetic radiation environments. Electromagnetic Radiation, Operational (EMRO) evaluation ensures the safe, reliable operation of electronic systems in their anticipated electromagnetic radiation environment. This type of system evaluation is similar to the MIL-STD-461 radiated susceptibility test for subsystems. Lightning Effects (LE) experiments can be conducted to ensure the safety and reliability of ordnance and electronics systems when exposed to near strikes and to ensure the safety of ordnance when exposed to direct strikes. Some level of Nuclear Survivability (NS) is required of all mission-essential Army equipment. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) requirements are common to nearly all Army materiel utilizing electronics. Additional nuclear environments which must be addressed generally for systems of tactical significance during a nuclear conflict are blast overpressure, thermal and Initial Nuclear Radiation (INR). Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility (EMI/EMC) measurements can be made of the unintentional electromagnetic emissions of electronic subsystems and of their susceptibility to electromagnetic energy from outside sources to minimize the potential for interference to be experienced in the final system configuration. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) experiments (shown above and below) can be performed on munitions and electronic systems to ensure that their safety and performance will not be degraded by exposure to high electrostatic discharge environments. Both Personnel-borne, Helicopter-borne ESD and High Voltage Corona (HVC) environments are considered.

This facility is unique to DoD. New energetic materials which are synthesized in the laboratory on the scale of grams can be scaled up to 50-100 lb. quantities in order to optimize the process, provide material for further characterization in the laboratory and to provide experimental formulation of these new materials in explosives, propellants or pyrotechnics.

The Energetic Materials Analysis Laboratory is a recognized leader in the field of energetic materials chemistry and provides support to the tri-services, other government agencies (FBI, DEA), approved foreign governments, academia, and private industry through analysis and testing in support of development of new ammunition, qualification of energetic material used in DoD munitions, life-cycle testing of fielded munitions, development of demilitarization and disposal processes, and investigations of field malfunctions. The extensive test and evaluation capabilities of the lab play a key role in ensuring material quality and ordnance reliability. State of the art laboratories and instrumentation are used for the characterization and assay of new explosive compounds, MIL-STD, NAVSEAS, and STANAG qualification, exploitation of foreign ammunition, compatibility of energetic and ammunition components, methods development, and investigations of manufacturing deficiencies, malfunctions, accidents, bombings, and criminal fraud. The laboratory consists of a physical properties laboratory, a thermal properties laboratory, a metals laboratory, a wet chemistry laboratory, and an instrumental laboratory for both organic and inorganic analyses. Instruments include GC-MS, DSC, TGA, FTIR, ICP-AES, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Reaction Rate Calorimeter, Accelerated Rate Calorimetry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Karl Fischer Automated Titrator, and Ion Chromatography. With our qualified staff of chemists, scientists, and technicians, EMAL can provide a wide variety of on-site sampling and testing services. Whether the situation calls for using a state-of-the-art portable instrumentation or downloading and obtaining a representative sample from a munition, EMAL possesses the personnel, equipment and expertise to perform routine or highly specialized sampling and testing services. With more than 70 years of experience in responding to emergencies involving energetic materials, EMAL has the capability of identifying unknown substances in hours not days.