Co-operation in Europe O rg anization for Security and OSCE Handbook of Best Practices on Conventional Ammunition The Organization for Security and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe works for Co-operation in Europe stability, prosperity and democracy OSCE Handbook of Forum for Security Co-operation in 56 States through political dialogue about shared values and through practical OSCE Secretariat work that makes a lasting difference. Conflict Prevention Centre Best Practices on Wallnerstrasse 6 1010 Vienna Conventional Ammunition Austria osce.org Organization for Security and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Co-operation in Europe Table of Contents Decision No. 6/08 Handbook of Best Practices on Conventional Ammunition I. Best Practice Guide on Ammunition Marking, Registration and Record-Keeping 3 II. Best Practice Guide on Procedures for Management of Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition 15 III. Best Practice Guide on Physical Security of Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition 39 IV. Best Practice Guide on Ammunition Transportation 81 V. Best Practice Guide on the Destruction of Conventional Ammunition 143 © 2008. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe asserts its copyright in the entirety of this work and its formatting. Reproduction of this work (or sections thereof) in limited quantities for the purposes of study or research is permitted. All other requests should be directed to: FSC Support Section, Conflict Prevention Centre, OSCE Secretariat Wallnerstrasse 6, A-1010, Vienna, Austria 1 Decision No. 6/08 Handbook of Best Practices on Conventional Ammuniton The Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), Decides to: • Welcome the development of the best practice guides Reaffirming its commitment to the full implementation on conventional ammunition and endorse the compi- of the OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional lation of those that are currently available and under Ammunition (SCA) (FSC.DOC/1/03, 19 November preparation into a handbook of best practices in all six 2003) OSCE languages; Recalling Section VII of the OSCE Document on SCA, • Ensure that the remaining guides are included in the in which participating States agreed to consider develop- handbook when finalized and reviewed; ing a “best practice” guide of techniques and procedures for the destruction of conventional ammunition, explo- • Encourage participating States to make this hand- sive material and detonating devices, and the manage- book available to all relevant national authorities for ment and control of stockpiles, and noting that such a its implementation as appropriate; document would cover, inter alia, indicators of surplus and risk, standards and procedures for the proper man- • Task the Conflict Prevention Centre to ensure the agement of stockpiles, norms to be used in determining widest possible distribution, including the OSCE which stockpiles should be destroyed, as well as stand- Partners for Co operation and the United Nations, of ards and technical procedures of destruction, this handbook after its completion; Noting that a handbook gathering these best practice • Take account of this handbook, including the guides could serve as a guide for national policy making possibility of its further development during the by participating States and encourage higher common regular review of the OSCE Document on SCA, in standards of practice among all participating States, accordance with Section VII, paragraph 37 of the Document; Acknowledging that such a handbook of best practices could also be useful to OSCE Partners for Co-operation • Append this decision to the handbook in order to be and other United Nations Member States in their efforts distributed with it. to tackle the risks and challenges caused by the presence of stockpiles of conventional ammunition, explosive ma- terial and detonating devises in surplus and/or awaiting destruction, Recognizing the work done by participating States to complete this task, 2 Best Practice Guide on Ammunition Marking, Registration and Record-Keeping 3 Table of Contents I. Aim and Scope 5 II. Marking of Ammunition and Ammunition Packaging 5 1. Purpose of Marking Ammunition and Ammunition Packaging 5 2. Types and Methods of Marking Ammunition 6 2.1 Ammunition Marking by Inscriptions 6 2.2 Marking Ammunition with Color Codes 7 2.3 Marking Ammunition with Symbols 7 2.4 Visible and Palpable Markings 7 3. Types and Ways of Marking Ammunition Packaging 8 III. Registration and Record-keeping 8 1. Purpose of Registration and Record-keeping 8 2. Registration and Record-keeping Principles 9 2.1 Registration stages 9 2.2 Registers and Nature of Registered Information 11 IV. Definition of Terms 11 V. References on the Subject „Conventional Ammunition: Marking,Registration and Record-keeping“ 14 This Guide was drafted by the government of Germany. FSC.DEL/73/07/Rev.1/Corr.1 25 October 2007 4 Best Practice Guide on Ammunition Marking, Registration and Record-Keeping I. Aim and Scope – II. Marking of Ammunition and Ammunition Packaging I. Aim and Scope This Best Practice Guide applies exclusively to state- The information and recommendations provided may be owned stockpiles of conventional ammunition for used for the development of a policy, of general opera- military, paramilitary and security forces and the police tional guidelines and of procedures on all aspects of am- of a participating state as mentioned in section II and III munition marking, registration and record-keeping. of the OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (FSC.DOC/1/03, dated 19 November Any investigation conducted on the basis of the mark- 2003). All other ammunition as ammunition in private ings to be found on conventional ammunition and its possession and ammunition used for non-conventional packaging as well as on the basis of the relevant records weapons, such as NBC weapons or other CBRN devices should contribute toward battling the illicit proliferation are excluded. of ammunition and thus especially the illicit use of small arms and light weapons (SALW). II. Marking of Ammunition and Ammunition Packaging 1. Purpose of Marking Ammunition the lot designation can be used to recall a specific and Ammunition Packaging production lot which has shown unwanted peculiari- Conventional ammunition and its packaging have always ties during use or technical ammunition checks and been labeled with a wide variety of markings for quality is therefore to be barred from further use. By analogy, control, logistic and mission-tactical reasons as well as the same applies to production lots which are to for the purpose of preventing accidents. Such markings be disposed of on the grounds of obsolescence. Lot can serve the following purposes: designations are often used in stockpile management because they provide more detailed information on a To facilitate the exact identification of all ammunition specific quantity of ammunition than would the mere and its designation in any situation, even in darkness or indication of the corresponding ammunition type and limited visibility. nature. Ammunition consumption, too, is frequently documented on the basis of the lot designation. The To provide information on: lot designation often contains coded information on • The caliber of the ammunition and the length of the the manufacturer, the year of production, the month cartridge case. of production, the sequence of production as well as • The manufacturer of the ammunition. on the ammunition’s state of constitutional change. • The date the ammunition was produced (year and/or • The ammunition’s specific serial number. Particu- month). larly, more complex types of ammunition (such as • The production lot to which the ammunition be- MANPADS, anti-tank guided missiles, rockets and longs. Within the framework of accident prevention, torpedoes) have - like weapons - a unique serial 5 number in addition to the lot designation, allowing ing (e.g. ammunition designation or nature, lot designa- the identification a particular piece of ammunition. tion or serial number) as well as information on specific • Any specific hazards arising from the ammunition hazards arising from the ammunition should be affixed and necessitating specific ammunition handling to the ammunition packaging because ammunition is procedures, e.g. due to the fact that the ammunition usually packaged under storage conditions or being contains explosives or other hazardous substances transported. (such as phosphorus). The information given serves to classify the ammunition according to hazard divi- All ammunition should be marked appropriately and sion and compatibility group (cf. OSCE Best Practice accurately. Markings on ammunition and its packaging Guides on Stockpile Management and Security and may serve all the reasonable purposes mentioned above. on Ammunition Transport). Appropriate markings provide a major contribution to • The way the ammunition works and thus on the safety, security and the administrative management of range of tactical objectives for which it can be used the ammunition stockpile. To have the maximum ef- (e.g. demolition, armor-piercing or tracer effect). fect and to avoid any confusion, ammunition marking • The types of weapons for which the ammunition can should be done upon manufacture. The following section be used (guns, howitzers, mortars etc.). provides more information about types and methods of • Any specific fuse effect/capability (e.g. of proximity marking ammunition. fuses). • Any type of modification