How are arms, ammunition and explosives shipped in a Foreign Military Sale?

The term “sensitive” has two different meanings, but both definitions impact the movement of materiel deemed “sensitive.” “Sensitive materiel” is a description usually associated with AA&E, but also includes non-explosive technologies in night vision devices (NVDs) and controlled cryptographic items (CCI).

In the context of security, “sensitive” is a special term that describes conventional AA&E, CCI, and NVDs requiring special protection and security to keep them out of the hands of criminals and terrorists.

Criminals and terrorists find conventional AA&E, NVDs, and CCI desirable because they are deadly, portable, and highly pilferable if unprotected. Conventional AA&E are munitions that are not nuclear, biological, or chemical (NBC) munitions. NBC items are covered by their own regulations. The DoW applies special security controls to sensitive items. Sensitive explosive materiel will always be moved via the DTS under DTCs 8, 9 or 7.

The second definition of the term “sensitive” applies in the context of hazardous materials, specifically explosives. “Sensitive” in this context indicates the ease of initiation of fire or explosion within the package and the extent of the damage it causes. Hazardous materiel regulations categorize explosives based on their volatility or ease of detonation.

A Controlled Inventory Item Code (CIIC) is assigned to every piece of materiel in the DoW inventory that has a national stock number. This CIIC is a combination of the security risk category and the hazardous classification of the materiel. The CIIC is used to determine the shipping procedures required to move the materiel to the FMS customer.

Not all AA&E items are sensitive. That means they do not require special security. Non-sensitive AA&E, if it contains explosives, is governed by HAZMAT regulations. Just because an item is hazardous does not make it sensitive AA&E, or vice-versa. Hazardous and non-sensitive items may be shipped through commercial channels under DTC 4 or 5.

The United Nations’ (UN) hazard classification system for identifying explosive materials and explosive components is recognized internationally and is used universally by the DoW and the USDOT. The UN system consists of nine classes of dangerous materials, with explosives designated as Class 1. The explosives hazard class is further subdivided into six divisions, which are used for segregating ammunition and explosives on the basis of similarity of characteristics, properties, and accident effects potential.

Ammunition and explosives are further assigned to compatibility groups, which identify whether the explosives can be transported and stored together without significantly increasing either the probability of an incident or the magnitude of the effects of such an incident. The compatibility group determines the type of carrier that may be used to transport the materiel, such as a passenger aircraft or a dedicated ammunition surface ship.

Class 1 divisions 1.1 through 1.3 are generally regarded as the most dangerous and most desirable by criminals and terrorists and are, therefore, assigned within four Security Risk Categories (SRC) by the security community. The SRC is used to determine the transportation security requirements for movement of the sensitive AA&E, based on capability, portability, and volatility of the explosive. These SRCs are discussed in detail in the SAMM Chapter 7. SRC I materiel must be transported to at least a customer country’s port of debarkation (POD) under DoW control unless the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security grants a waiver. The applicable DTC on the LOA will be 9 or 7. SRC II through IV items must be shipped at least to a DoW ocean or aerial port where DoW personnel load it into a customer country’s ship or aircraft. The LOAs for these items must be written with a DTC of 8, 9, or 7.

The Defense Transportation Regulation (DTR) Chapter 205B2 requires DTS to sensitive materiel in hazard class 1, divisions 1.1 through 1.3. Freight forwarders may coordinate customer pickup at a DoW-controlled port, and process export paperwork, but are precluded from accepting or storing explosive materiel in their facilities. Freight forwarders have routinely moved non-sensitive small caliber ammunition, Cartridge Actuated Devices (CADs), and Propellant Actuated Devices (PADs) in hazard class 1.4 through 1.6 through their facilities (provided local safety ordinances permitted such materiel to be in the freight forwarder’s possession). This practice has proven to be both cost-effective and efficient for the FMS purchaser.