Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division's (NSWC IHEODTD) Picatinny Detachment is home to the command's Systems Integration Department established at Picatinny, N.J., as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.
The Department’s mission is to perform Research, Development and Acquisition of Guns and Ammunition for the Department of the Navy. This includes supporting system design and procurement; installation; in-service trouble shooting; and life cycle support for guns and ammunition.
The other main function of the Picatinny Detachment is Research, Development and Acquisition of Weapons and Armaments Packaging, Handling, Storage and Transportation (PHST) systems. This includes design, qualification, acquisition support, and in–service engineering for weapons containers, ordnance handling equipment, ordnance storage/stowage systems, and transportation systems.
The relocation of the Navy's Guns and Ammunition and PHST functions to Picatinny Arsenal facilitates collaboration between Navy and Army subject matter experts; and the mission of the Systems Integration Department Picatinny Detachment aligns closely with the origins of NSWC IHEODTD.
In 1890, Indian Head, Md., was selected as the Navy's gun proving grounds. Since that time, the mission of NSWC IHEODTD has grown to include the research and development of energetic materials for naval guns, missiles and air crew escape systems; and providing EOD solutions for the warfighter.
Today, NSWC IHEODTD is a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and is part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Enterprise. NSWC IHEODTD is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) solutions. As a Department of Defense Center of Excellence and EOD Detection Equipment Program lead, NSWC IHEODTD focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit, and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.
The re-introduction of the direct interface with naval gun systems – along with the ammunition and packaging functions – through Systems Integration Department, Picatinny Detachment, strengthens NSWC IHEODTD’s guns and ammunition roots. The Department has three main divisions: Guns Division, Ammunition Division, and PHST Division.
The Gun Systems Division function moved to Picatinny from Louisville, Ky., and provides in-service engineering and technical support for minor, medium, and major caliber naval gun systems. The function originated in Louisville on Nov. 20, 1940, when it was selected as the location for the final assembly and testing for the Navy's medium caliber gun mounts. Today, this division provides the hands on engineering, technical, and logistics support necessary to keep the Navy's sophisticated gun systems operational.
The Ammunition Division function moved to Picatinny from Crane, Ind., and provides in-service engineering and acquisition support for all conventional ammunition for the U.S. Navy. This division also includes the Mobile Ammunition Evaluation and Reconditioning Unit (MAERU) that realigned from NSWC Crane Fall Brook Detachment. The MAERU team travels to OCONUS locations to inspect and recondition ammunition, saving valuable acquisition dollars. This Division also includes the Guns and Ammunition Ballistic Evaluation function that realigned from Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake, Calif. This function provides in-service engineering for the Navy's Aircraft gun weapons systems.
The PHST Division moved to Picatinny from Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, N.J., and provides testing, engineering and technical support for PHST for all naval ordnance. The PHST Division functions transferred to Earle from U. S. Army Labs in Natick, Mass., in the late 1950s. Because Navy ordnance spends the majority of its life cycle being packaged, stored, handled or transported, PHST systems are critical to ensuring Navy ordnance performs as intended when required.