Steel capsules developed for clearing unexploded ordnance
TOKYO >> Kobe Steel Ltd. has unveiled capsule-type blast-proof containers it developed to dispose of unexploded ordnance more efficiently in Okinawa prefecture.
The containers have a dual structure using high tensile-strength steel and can withstand explosions.
During disposals, use of the capsules can reduce the area of evacuation to less than 10% of current levels.
On March 25, Ground Self-Defense Force personnel disposed of unexploded ammunition in Nanjo using the blast-proof container, a process that took about 40 minutes. The work involved a nose fuse for naval gun shells measuring 5 inches in diameter. It’s the most common type of unexploded ordnance found in the prefecture.
During previous disposals, people within a radius of 88 meters (about 100 yards) were evacuated, but use of the blast-proof container reduced the area to less than 25.5 meters, a more than 90% decrease in area.
The capsules also shorten the time it takes to do the detonation work.
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According to the Okinawa prefectural government, an estimated 1,900 tons of unexploded ordnance from the Pacific theater still remain in the prefecture. Today, at least one unexploded ordnance is found daily. One estimate projects it will take 70 years for all unexploded ordnance to be cleared.
Kobe Steel said it’s possible to develop other blast-proof containers that can handle ordnance other than 5-inch naval gun shells.
