Demonstrator Performance at the Unexploded Ordnance Advanced Technology Demonstration at Jefferson Proving Ground (Phase 1) and Implications for UXO Clearance.

Abstract : In this report we present our best understanding of the performance demonstrated in the 1994 Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Detection, Identification and Remediation Advanced Technology Demonstration at the Jefferson Proving Ground, Indiana. To arrive at this understanding, we have critically examined the parameters used to evaluate performance, as well as the limitations imposed by the test itself. We have also illustrated the importance of good performance to the effectiveness or efficiency of real world UXO cleanup. Finally, with test limitations, observed performance, and sensor phenomenology in mind, we have determined what guidance the results can provide for future experiments and system development. It is inevitable that some ordnance does not explode as intended. This UXO remains as the legacy of past testing, training, and wartime activities. UXO contamination and the resulting humanitarian and economic impacts have intensified the need for systems to detect, identify, and remediate unexploded ordnance worldwide. Current methods for clearing unexploded ordnance from contaminated land are labor-intensive, hazardous, and costly. Furthermore, a great deal of controversy exists concerning the capabilities of systems in current use or proposed for use. To address this issue, and to encourage the timely development and demonstration of technology to detect and remediate UXO contamination, the United States Congress mandated funds for a technology demonstration to identify and evaluate innovative and cost effective systems for the detection, identification, and remediation of sites contaminated with subsurface unexploded ordnance.