Picatinny Arsenal
Encyclopedia
The Picatinny Arsenal is an American military research and manufacturing facility located on a 6400 acres (26 km²) lot in northern New Jersey
near Lake Denmark
. The Arsenal is the headquarters of the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
. It is known for inventing the ubiquitous Picatinny rail
, as well as being the Army's center of expertise for small arms cartridge ammunition.
The facility was founded in 1880 as the Picatinny Powder Depot. Soon afterward, the Navy acquired a portion of the arsenal to establish the Lake Denmark Powder Depot, later known as Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Storage Depot. It manufactured gunpowder
until after World War I
, at which time the facility also began producing heavy munitions and grew more involved in research and development
activities. During World War II
Picatinny was a major large-caliber-round loading plant with 18,000 employees. Today, the facility develops new technologies for the US Armed Forces and builds various munitions, weapons and armor systems.
Picatinny Arsenal is also home to the US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Directorate. This group is responsible for the creation of tools, equipment, and procedures for US Army EOD personnel. Some of their more recent inventions was the use of weapons on a robot platform and the SWORDS robot. Their building has been recently renamed in honor of one of their fallen soldiers, SFC Scott "Smitty" Smith, who was killed in Iraq in July 2006.
gun powder was stored by the United States Army
at various powder facilities throughout the eastern United States
. Many of these facilities were located in the south and were confiscated by the Confederate States of America
at the beginning of the war. The federal government began looking for a central storage depot to be located near the large cities of the northeast.
The United States War Department established the Dover Powder Depot on September 6, 1880. Four days later, it changed the name to Picatinny Powder Depot.
A deed dated June 26, 1880 records the first land purchase for the future Picatinny Arsenal. Mr. George E. Righter transferred 1195.8 acres (4.8 km²) centered on Lake Picatinny to the United States Government in return for $35,874.00. This area, afterwards known as the Middle Forge Tract because of the forge located there during the Revolutionary War, became the central area of the arsenal. In 1880 and 1881, the government also purchased tracts from Uel H. Wiggins, Edward C. Fiedler and other, Henry and Michael Doland, and John E. Kindred. These initial purchases, including the Middle Forge Tract, covered 1866.13 acres (7.6 km²) and cost a total of $62,750.00. At the same time, the government gave $200.00 to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Spicer for a 50 feet (15.2 m) strip on which to construct a road from Spicertown to the powder depot. In 1891, the Army transferred 315 acres (1.3 km²) bordering Lake Denmark
to the Navy. The arsenal was located in a valley between two sets of hills that might shield the surrounding countryside from any accidental explosions.
In 1907, the Army altered the name to Picatinny Arsenal and established its first powder factory on the site. While continuing to produce munitions, the arsenal moved into research and development work with the start of a school to instruct officers in weaponry sciences in 1911, the establishment of testing and control laboratories during the World War I era, and the beginning of a small, experimental plant for the design and development of artillery
ammunition
in 1919. In 1921, the arsenal took over responsibility for experimental work on fuze
s.
On July 10, 1926, lightning struck and started a fire. As a result, several million pounds of explosives detonated over a period of 2–3 days. This left not only structural devastation, but military and civilian casualties as well. As a result of a full-scale Congressional investigation, Congress directed the establishment of the Armed Forces Explosives Safety Board to provide oversight on every aspect of explosives under the control of the US Armed Forces.
The arsenal continued to realize its potential as a research and development facility in the years between the two world wars. Major accomplishments of this period included better methods for storing smokeless powder
, improved processing of cyclonite, more commonly called RDX, and the discovery of a new explosive, haleite. The discoverer was Dr. Ceorge C. Hale, the arsenal's chief chemist.
Over the years the Army continued to make small purchases to round out arsenal boundaries, but the next major expansion came in 1941, just before the United States entered World War II. At this time, the Army purchased the land between the Cannon Gates and the present main entrance near NJ Route 15. This included Spicertown, an unincorporated village in Rockaway Township. Spicertown had declined from a relatively thriving nineteenth century community of small but profitable farms to a rather depressed area in 1941. Many of the residences housed military families until the early 2000s; the last were demolished in 2007. Near Parker Road is property acquired from the estate of John E. Larson for $16,000.00. The purchase price included 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) of land. Another former Spicertown propterty consisting of 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) cost the government $19,769.00. Property on the opposite side of Parker Road was acquired from Helen Jane Larsen with 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) for $10,534.00, as well as the former home of Clarence and Agnes Burdette, constructed around 1919. At the time, the government appraiser praised the landscaping and the grassy knoll location.
World War II interfered with the arsenal's efforts to concentrate on research and development. As one of the few facilities with the ability to manufacture munitions, it employed 18,000 people and ran three shifts turning out bombs and artillery shells. However, it still had its research triumphs, especially the development of a delay fuze for skip bombing and special bombs for dams and oil fields. It also pioneered production processes later transferred to munitions manufacturers around the country.
In the 1960's Picatinny was the site of the United States' Army Munitions Command.
After World War II
, Picatinny refocused its efforts on developing new weapons and munitions. Its support to the American forces in Korea included an improved bazooka
and an illuminating rifle grenade. In periods of peace, the arsenal made important contributions to progress in the areas of radar
, pyrotechnics, missiles, time fuzes, and nuclear munitions (including the M65 Atomic Cannon
280mm howitzer known as Atomic Annie). When war broke out again, it gave troops in Vietnam
a complete family of 40 mm ammunition for grenade launchers and helicopter gun ships.
In 1977, the Army recognized Picatinny's leadership in weapons and munitions development by headquartering its Armament Research and Development Command (ARRADCOM) at the arsenal and giving it responsibility for developing small caliber weapons and munitions.
In 1983, the Army disestablished the Armament Research and Development Command and Picatinny became the home of the Armament Research and Development Center (ARDC). In 1986, the name again changed to the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC).
In 1991 during the Persian Gulf War
, Picatinny Arsenal provided support in their development of the Patriot Missile warhead that was used as a deterrent to the Iraqi
SCUD missiles.
In 2007, Picatinny received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
.
was in charge at the time, and received a Distinguished Service Cross
for his handling of the situation. This left not only structural devastation (187 of 200 buildings destroyed), but military and civilian casualties as well. As a result of a full-scale Congressional investigation, Congress directed the establishment of the Armed Forces Explosives Safety Board to provide oversight on every aspect of explosives under the control of the US Armed Forces.
In 1960, the Army resumed control of land it had given the Navy, bringing the installation to its current size and shape.
) was laid from Wharton
to Green Pond through the heart of the valley in which Picatinny Arsenal now resides. This line connected the various railroads serving the Wharton area with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad at Green Pond. Picatinny maintained as much as 49 miles (78.9 km) of its own narrow and standard gauge Picatinny Arsenal Railroad to service its many transportation needs (fuel, raw materials, ammunition, etc.) for almost every manufacturing and warehouse building. Today, rail service through the Arsenal is just a memory with only a disused weed-choked stub line into the Arsenal and scattered traces of the once busy narrow gauge railway. Some of the remaining track has been covered with macadam and turned into pedestrian walking paths.
directed the Department of Defense to establish Picatinny as the DoD Specialty Site for Guns and Ammunition, and to relocate Navy technical experts to Picatinny. It recommended:
This recommendation realigns and consolidates those gun and ammunition facilities working in Weapons and Armaments (W&A) Research, Development & Acquisition (RD&A). Picatinny Arsenal is the center of mass for DoD’s Research, Development & Acquisition of guns and ammunition, with a workload more than an order of magnitude greater than any other DoD facility in this area. It also is home to the DoD’s Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
near Lake Denmark
Lake Denmark
Lake Denmark is a small lake about 4 miles north of Rockaway in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The closest city is Lake Telemark, NJ, about one mile southeast of the lake. Close by are Picatinny Lake in the southwest and the Green Pond in the northeast.It is located at an elevation of...
. The Arsenal is the headquarters of the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
The United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center , headquartered at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, is the US Army's primary research and development arm for armament and munitions systems. Besides Picatinny, ARDEC has four other research facilities, including Benét...
. It is known for inventing the ubiquitous Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
, as well as being the Army's center of expertise for small arms cartridge ammunition.
The facility was founded in 1880 as the Picatinny Powder Depot. Soon afterward, the Navy acquired a portion of the arsenal to establish the Lake Denmark Powder Depot, later known as Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Storage Depot. It manufactured gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
until after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, at which time the facility also began producing heavy munitions and grew more involved in research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
activities. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Picatinny was a major large-caliber-round loading plant with 18,000 employees. Today, the facility develops new technologies for the US Armed Forces and builds various munitions, weapons and armor systems.
Picatinny Arsenal is also home to the US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Directorate. This group is responsible for the creation of tools, equipment, and procedures for US Army EOD personnel. Some of their more recent inventions was the use of weapons on a robot platform and the SWORDS robot. Their building has been recently renamed in honor of one of their fallen soldiers, SFC Scott "Smitty" Smith, who was killed in Iraq in July 2006.
History
Prior to the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
gun powder was stored by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
at various powder facilities throughout the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Many of these facilities were located in the south and were confiscated by the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
at the beginning of the war. The federal government began looking for a central storage depot to be located near the large cities of the northeast.
The United States War Department established the Dover Powder Depot on September 6, 1880. Four days later, it changed the name to Picatinny Powder Depot.
A deed dated June 26, 1880 records the first land purchase for the future Picatinny Arsenal. Mr. George E. Righter transferred 1195.8 acres (4.8 km²) centered on Lake Picatinny to the United States Government in return for $35,874.00. This area, afterwards known as the Middle Forge Tract because of the forge located there during the Revolutionary War, became the central area of the arsenal. In 1880 and 1881, the government also purchased tracts from Uel H. Wiggins, Edward C. Fiedler and other, Henry and Michael Doland, and John E. Kindred. These initial purchases, including the Middle Forge Tract, covered 1866.13 acres (7.6 km²) and cost a total of $62,750.00. At the same time, the government gave $200.00 to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Spicer for a 50 feet (15.2 m) strip on which to construct a road from Spicertown to the powder depot. In 1891, the Army transferred 315 acres (1.3 km²) bordering Lake Denmark
Lake Denmark
Lake Denmark is a small lake about 4 miles north of Rockaway in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The closest city is Lake Telemark, NJ, about one mile southeast of the lake. Close by are Picatinny Lake in the southwest and the Green Pond in the northeast.It is located at an elevation of...
to the Navy. The arsenal was located in a valley between two sets of hills that might shield the surrounding countryside from any accidental explosions.
In 1907, the Army altered the name to Picatinny Arsenal and established its first powder factory on the site. While continuing to produce munitions, the arsenal moved into research and development work with the start of a school to instruct officers in weaponry sciences in 1911, the establishment of testing and control laboratories during the World War I era, and the beginning of a small, experimental plant for the design and development of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
in 1919. In 1921, the arsenal took over responsibility for experimental work on fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
s.
On July 10, 1926, lightning struck and started a fire. As a result, several million pounds of explosives detonated over a period of 2–3 days. This left not only structural devastation, but military and civilian casualties as well. As a result of a full-scale Congressional investigation, Congress directed the establishment of the Armed Forces Explosives Safety Board to provide oversight on every aspect of explosives under the control of the US Armed Forces.
The arsenal continued to realize its potential as a research and development facility in the years between the two world wars. Major accomplishments of this period included better methods for storing smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
, improved processing of cyclonite, more commonly called RDX, and the discovery of a new explosive, haleite. The discoverer was Dr. Ceorge C. Hale, the arsenal's chief chemist.
Over the years the Army continued to make small purchases to round out arsenal boundaries, but the next major expansion came in 1941, just before the United States entered World War II. At this time, the Army purchased the land between the Cannon Gates and the present main entrance near NJ Route 15. This included Spicertown, an unincorporated village in Rockaway Township. Spicertown had declined from a relatively thriving nineteenth century community of small but profitable farms to a rather depressed area in 1941. Many of the residences housed military families until the early 2000s; the last were demolished in 2007. Near Parker Road is property acquired from the estate of John E. Larson for $16,000.00. The purchase price included 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) of land. Another former Spicertown propterty consisting of 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) cost the government $19,769.00. Property on the opposite side of Parker Road was acquired from Helen Jane Larsen with 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) for $10,534.00, as well as the former home of Clarence and Agnes Burdette, constructed around 1919. At the time, the government appraiser praised the landscaping and the grassy knoll location.
World War II interfered with the arsenal's efforts to concentrate on research and development. As one of the few facilities with the ability to manufacture munitions, it employed 18,000 people and ran three shifts turning out bombs and artillery shells. However, it still had its research triumphs, especially the development of a delay fuze for skip bombing and special bombs for dams and oil fields. It also pioneered production processes later transferred to munitions manufacturers around the country.
In the 1960's Picatinny was the site of the United States' Army Munitions Command.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Picatinny refocused its efforts on developing new weapons and munitions. Its support to the American forces in Korea included an improved bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
and an illuminating rifle grenade. In periods of peace, the arsenal made important contributions to progress in the areas of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, pyrotechnics, missiles, time fuzes, and nuclear munitions (including the M65 Atomic Cannon
M65 Atomic Cannon
The M65 Atomic Cannon, often called Atomic Annie, was a towed artillery piece built by the United States and capable of firing a nuclear device. It was developed in the early 1950s, at the beginning of the Cold War, and fielded by 1953 in Europe and Korea....
280mm howitzer known as Atomic Annie). When war broke out again, it gave troops in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
a complete family of 40 mm ammunition for grenade launchers and helicopter gun ships.
In 1977, the Army recognized Picatinny's leadership in weapons and munitions development by headquartering its Armament Research and Development Command (ARRADCOM) at the arsenal and giving it responsibility for developing small caliber weapons and munitions.
In 1983, the Army disestablished the Armament Research and Development Command and Picatinny became the home of the Armament Research and Development Center (ARDC). In 1986, the name again changed to the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC).
In 1991 during the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, Picatinny Arsenal provided support in their development of the Patriot Missile warhead that was used as a deterrent to the Iraqi
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
SCUD missiles.
In 2007, Picatinny received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes U.S. organizations in the business, health care, education, and nonprofit sectors for performance excellence. The Baldrige Award is the only formal recognition of the performance excellence of both public and private U.S. organizations given by...
.
Lake Denmark Powder Depot
In 1891 the Navy acquired 317 acres (1.3 km²) of the Arsenal to establish their Lake Denmark Powder Depot, later known as Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Storage Depot. On July 10, 1926, lightning struck one of the explosives storage structures during a thunderstorm and started a fire. As a result, several million pounds of explosives detonated over a period of 2–3 days. Otto DowlingOtto Dowling
Otto Carl Dowling was an United States Navy Captain, and the 25th Governor of American Samoa from April 17, 1934 to January 15, 1936. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1903. Dowling served in World War I, before retiring...
was in charge at the time, and received a Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
for his handling of the situation. This left not only structural devastation (187 of 200 buildings destroyed), but military and civilian casualties as well. As a result of a full-scale Congressional investigation, Congress directed the establishment of the Armed Forces Explosives Safety Board to provide oversight on every aspect of explosives under the control of the US Armed Forces.
In 1960, the Army resumed control of land it had given the Navy, bringing the installation to its current size and shape.
Transportation
The primary vehicle for transportation in the early days of the Arsenal was the railroad. The early Wharton & Northern Railroad (succeeded by the Jersey CentralCentral Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
) was laid from Wharton
Wharton, New Jersey
Wharton is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 6,298.What is now Wharton was originally incorporated as the borough of Port Oram by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 26, 1895, from portions of Randolph...
to Green Pond through the heart of the valley in which Picatinny Arsenal now resides. This line connected the various railroads serving the Wharton area with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad at Green Pond. Picatinny maintained as much as 49 miles (78.9 km) of its own narrow and standard gauge Picatinny Arsenal Railroad to service its many transportation needs (fuel, raw materials, ammunition, etc.) for almost every manufacturing and warehouse building. Today, rail service through the Arsenal is just a memory with only a disused weed-choked stub line into the Arsenal and scattered traces of the once busy narrow gauge railway. Some of the remaining track has been covered with macadam and turned into pedestrian walking paths.
BRAC Decision
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
directed the Department of Defense to establish Picatinny as the DoD Specialty Site for Guns and Ammunition, and to relocate Navy technical experts to Picatinny. It recommended:
- Create an integrated weapons & armament specialty site for guns and ammunition at Picatinny Arsenal.
- Consolidate the following facilities at Picatinny Arsenal:
- Adelphi Laboratory Center in Maryland
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Division at Crane, IndianaCrane, IndianaCrane is a town in Perry Township, Martin County, and Madison Township, Daviess County Indiana, United States. The population was 184 at the 2010 census. It was named for William M...
, including the Fallbrook, CaliforniaFallbrook, CaliforniaFallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census....
, detachment. - Naval Surface Warfare Center DivisionNaval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren DivisionThe United States Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division , named for Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, is located in Dahlgren, Virginia and is part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The NSWCDD was founded as the U.S...
Dahlgren, VirginiaDahlgren, VirginiaDahlgren is a census-designated place in King George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census. The community is located within the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area winemaking appellation established by the United States... - Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, detachment of Naval Surface Warfare Center Division, Port Hueneme, CaliforniaPort Hueneme, CaliforniaPort Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century... - Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons DivisionNaval Air Weapons Station China Lake- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...
, China Lake, California - Naval Surface Warfare Center Division, Indian Head, MarylandIndian Head, MarylandIndian Head is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. It has been the site of a naval base specializing in gun and rocket propellants since 1890. Production of nitrocellulose and smokeless powder began at the Indian Head Powder Factory in 1900...
- Naval Surface Warfare Center DivisionNaval Weapons Station EarleNaval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in New Jersey. Its distinguishing feature is a 2.9-mile pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from land....
, Earle, New Jersey
This recommendation realigns and consolidates those gun and ammunition facilities working in Weapons and Armaments (W&A) Research, Development & Acquisition (RD&A). Picatinny Arsenal is the center of mass for DoD’s Research, Development & Acquisition of guns and ammunition, with a workload more than an order of magnitude greater than any other DoD facility in this area. It also is home to the DoD’s Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition.