Joint EOD partnership connects lands, maritime explosive-ordnance missions

Official Statements

• Picatinny Arsenal, November 9: “PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — CAPT Paul Mahoney, Commanding Officer of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC Ihd) in Maryland, visited U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts at Picatinny to gain a deeper understanding of how Army EOD units train, organize, and operate in support of land-based missions, on Oct 15.

  As a designated EOD warfare officer who previously served as the commanding officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit TWO, Mahoney had a vested interest in the visit to Picatinny’s EOD Detachment which was part of a larger two-day visit where he met with his teammates at NSWC IHD’s Picatinny Detachment for the first time since assuming command in July.

  NSWC Ihd - a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Establishment - is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.

  As the NSWC Ihd commanding officer, Mahoney oversees one of the DoW’s public arsenals and among the largest full-spectrum energetics facilities, including nearly 2,200 civilian employees across Maryland, two detachments and six off-site locations in New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Utah.

  The engagement between Mahoney and the Picatinny EOD brought together leaders and subject-matter experts from both services to discuss the similarities and differences between Navy and Army EOD missions, while identifying opportunities to improve collaboration across the joint force.

  Lt. Col. Aaron Foist, Armaments Center’s EOD Division Chief, briefed Mahoney and staff on some of the similarities and differences between the Army’s and Navy’s EOD functions.

  Army EOD Soldiers are trained to detect, identify, render safe, recover, and dispose of explosive hazards in support of land operations. Their mission can include responding to unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices, chemical and biological threats, and captured enemy munitions in complex operational environments.

  Navy EOD technicians bring complementary expertise, including operations in maritime, littoral, and underwater environments. Navy EOD units support missions such as mine countermeasures, underwater ordnance disposal, expeditionary operations, and support to naval and joint forces.

  Participants emphasized that while Army and Navy EOD forces operate in different environments and under different mission requirements, both share the fundamental responsibility of protecting personnel, infrastructure, and freedom of maneuver from explosive threats.

  “We showed our process of scanning live ordnance and using software to simulate environmental wear such as weathering, rust, and physical dents, to replicate fired rounds,” said Kelly Alberton, Picatinny EOD Division’s Multimedia Illustrator. “We then render these simulated rounds in multiple positions and diverse environmental conditions.

  “These generated images are integrated into our software to train computer vision models. By blending real-world and synthetic data, we can rapidly train the recognition models used by EOD robotic platforms in the field. The next phase of this effort will transition these capabilities to unmanned aerial systems.”

  The visit to Picatinny also provided a forum to exchange lessons learned, discuss emerging explosive hazards, and explore ways to increase interoperability through future training events and professional exchanges.

  “Lt. Col. Foist and Mr. Albertson’s briefing showcased where our military is now and where we are headed with synthetic modeling and automatic target recognition for our Robotic and Autonomous Systems platforms,” said Mahoney. “As an EOD technician, it's awesome to see how Army and Navy expertise complement one another to solve complex operational challenges and safeguard our warfighters downrange.”