AMRDEC propulsion assists with demilitarization of missiles

By Kathleen Edwards, AMRDEC Public AffairsDecember 5, 2016

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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Retired air-to-ground missile Bullpup rocket motors requiring demilitarization are undergoing a unique de-tanking process developed by the Weapons Development and Integration Directorate Missile Sustainment Function and Propulsion Function team at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center.

Bullpup missiles, which use liquid propulsion technology, originated in the U.S. during the 1960s as the first mass-produced air-to-surface command guided missile. They have since been decommissioned and are scheduled for demilitarization. Current inventory at the Anniston Munitions Center in Anniston, Alabama, include the LR-58 and the LR-62 and totals more than 200 liquid propulsion rocket motors.

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command began working with AMRDEC to develop the Liquid Propulsion Demilitarization and Disposal Program before 2014. This program recruited subject matter experts and technical expertise capable of addressing the procedures and processes for the disposition of the aging liquid propulsion inventory. LPDDP Integrator Jeff Lee described the process, "technical and engineering drawings on the Bullpup rocket motors could not be found. We requested five BRMs first, and reverse engineered these units to develop a disassembly process and eventually, a demilitarization plan."

Because mixing hypergolic propellants results in instant combustion, the liquid propellant removal process isolates the fuel from the oxidizer. The fuel, Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine, is highly toxic and the oxidizer, Inhibited Red Fuming Nitric Acid, is highly corrosive.

Because of the peculiar configuration of the BRMs, the team had to build a unique de-tanking system to access the BRMs holding tanks and extract the liquid propellants. De-tanking, and tank rinse are all executed as separate fuel/oxidizer operations and the tools are thoroughly cleaned between each step. Once the BRMs are taken apart the shells are split in half, thermally treated and then released for metal recycling.

"Cutting open a de-tanked BRM during testing we discovered degradation of internal components due to the long term exposure to the [oxidizer]," said Lee.

Metallurgical testing revealed that the BRMs aluminum casings are in good condition and safe for handling and storage for their scheduled disposition in 2017.

"AMRDEC scientists and engineers fulfill a critical role, as subject matter experts in propulsion with training and certification in ammunition and explosives operations, to develop and optimize safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sound methods of demilitarization for these aging, at-risk, weapons systems," said Robert R. Little, Chief, Missile Sustainment Function, WDI.

AMRDEC is working with Anniston to train workers on the process and the de-tanking system. De-tanking of the remaining inventory is scheduled to start late March 2017 and finalize in August. In addition to the training, the prototype equipment that was used to de-tank the BRMs at Redstone Arsenal is being transitioned to production scale and will be shipped to Anniston for BRM de-tanking production operations.

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The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to provide innovative research, development and engineering to produce capabilities that provide decisive overmatch to the Army against the complexities of the current and future operating environments in support of the Joint warfighter and the nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

Related Links:

U.S. Army Materiel Command

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command

U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center

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