SEESAC and the Serbian MoD Verify the Disposal of White Phosphorus Ammunition
In 2012, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia (MoD) held roughly 8,000 tonnes of surplus ammunition, including 1,133 tonnes of napalm powder and ammunition filled with white phosphorous. This March, within the scope of the Capacity Development Programme for Conventional Ammunition Stockpile Management for the Republic of Serbia (CASM) the first batch of white phosphorous (WP) ammunition was successfully disposed of.
On 12 March 2014, SEESAC and the MoD Serbia team visited the EXPAL facility in Gabrovo, Bulgaria where they verified the disposal of the WP from the first lot of the 105mm caliber ammunition and confirmed that it is conducted in line with the agreed conditions.
Before being shipped to Bulgaria for disposal, the 105 mm caliber shells were demilitarized at the Technical Overhaul Facility (TRZ) Kragujevac in Serbia. Once in Bulgaria, the WP was extracted from the shells and further processed until it was transformed into material that can be used in other industries.
Prior to the disposal of WF filled ammunition, through CASM, 162 tonnes of surplus napalm powder were collected, repackaged, shipped off and disposed of at a specialized facility in Sweden. The disposal process was verified in September 2013.
ABOUT CASM
CASM is a joint development programme of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Serbia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that aims to improve capacity of the MoD of the Republic of Serbia for conventional ammunition stockpile management. CASM activities are divided in three components, namely:
- Demilitarization and Disposal of approximately 1,133 tonnes of Napalm Powder and White Phosphorous filled ammunition;
- Infrastructure Development of ammunition storage areas and capacity development of ammunition management systems at Mirsac and Mirnicka Reka;
- Infrastructure improvements of demilitarization facility – TRZ Kragujevac.