What is WAM?
Understanding Weapon and Ammunition Management in Demining and Demilitarisation.
WAM
Weapon and Ammunition Management (WAM) refers to the safe handling, storage, control, and disposal of conventional weapons and ammunition.
Reducing Risk
WAM is a critical element of humanitarian mine action, helping to reduce the risk of accidental explosions, environmental hazards, and the unlawful spread of weapons.
Safety & Security
WAM ensures ammunition stockpiles are properly secured and managed, reducing the risk of accidental detonations that can cause civilian casualties and create explosive remnants of war (ERW).
Stockpile Reduction & Disposal
A core function of WAM is the safe destruction of surplus, unstable, or obsolete ammunition and weapons.
International Support
Organisations such as the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) support WAM programmes worldwide, helping nations safely store, inspect, and dispose of ammunition.
Preventing Proliferation
Effective WAM prevents weapons and ammunition from falling into unauthorised hands, reducing the risk of conflict escalation and criminal misuse.
Small Arms Ammunition (SAA) Processing
Introducing an innovative Small Arms Ammunition (SAA) Processing and recycling system designed for humanitarian mine action and WAM operations.
Engineered for use in former conflict zones, battle area clearance (BAC), and demilitarisation programmes, the system enables the safe disposal of ammunition stockpiles while recovering valuable materials for reuse.
It provides a commercially viable solution for metal recovery, producing a Free From Explosives (FFE) end-product that can be safely handled, transported, and reprocessed.
Key Benefits of the CFE system.
Safe, In-Field Processing
Operate directly at the point of disposal, this eliminates the need to transport live ammunition to fixed facilities and significantly reducing risk.
Efficient Resource Recovery
Separates ammunition components without co-mingling, lowering reprocessing costs and increasing the value of recovered metals.
Permanent Neutralisation
Outputs deformed FFE materials, ensuring casings, percussion caps, and projectiles cannot be reused or reloaded.
Compact & Deployable Worldwide
Fully contained within a standard 20’ ISO shipping container. Compatible with military and civilian transport systems, including DROPS, hook-lift, air freight, and commercial shipping.
Low-Cost, High-Reliability Design
A simple, durable system with minimal maintenance requirements. No complex electronics, designed for long-term use in challenging environments.
Single-Operator & Multi Fuel System
Requires only one trained operator. Easy to use, service, and repair with basic training. Operates on widely available fuels such as kerosene or diesel.
90%
of casualties from explosive weapons in populated areas are civilians. Unexploded ordnance and unsecured ammunition stockpiles remain lethal long after conflict ends. Effective WAM programmes save lives, protect communities, and enable economic recovery. The right disposal technology makes that possible — safely, efficiently, and where it's needed most.
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Humanitarian & Environmental Impact
Supports WAM & IMAS Objectives
Transforms international mine action standards into practical, in-field solutions for safer and more effective ammunition disposal.
Enables Economic Recovery
Creates opportunities for local employment and income generation through metal recovery and recycling in post-conflict communities.
Reduces Environmental Harm
Prevents long-term contamination from propellant chemicals leaching into soil and groundwater, helping protect agriculture, livestock, and public health.
Secure & Resilient
Built within a robust steel container with no high-value or dual-use components, reducing theft risk and enabling operation in all weather conditions.
A safer, smarter, and more sustainable approach to ammunition disposal — delivered where it’s needed most.
Technical Detail
Built for the Field. Engineered for Performance.
The CFE–SAA system is designed to operate where it’s needed most — in austere, post-conflict environments with minimal infrastructure. From calibre range to throughput capacity, every technical specification has been driven by real-world operational demands.
Key Specifications & Operating Details
The CFE–SAA machine is designed to safely process a wide range of small arms ammunition, including live, blank/training, and tracer rounds.
Supported calibres include: .22 / 5.6mm, 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm (including tracer), and comparable military, police, and civilian variants.
The system is capable of handling mixed-condition ammunition, including damaged, corroded, wet, contaminated, and recovered rounds. Mixed live and spent rounds can be processed together, ensuring full Free From Explosives (FFE) compliance.
The machine operates a continuous processing system, eliminating the need for batch loading or unloading.
- Average throughput: ~2 rounds per second
- Equivalent to: up to 7,000 rounds per hour
The system produces an FFE end-product with minimal co-mingling of materials.
- Safe for handling, transport, storage, or reprocessing.
- Components are mechanically deformed during processing.
- Prevents reloading of cartridges or reuse of projectiles.
- Enables efficient recovery of high-value metals.
The entire system is housed within a standard NATO-compatible container, featuring a STANAG frame for hook-lift deployment.
- No pressurised gases.
- No liquids required for operation.
- No dual-use or restricted materials.
- Deployment time: Less than 10 minutes from arrival to full operation.
The system is designed for unrestricted deployment and use:
- No export-restricted components.
- No weaponisable elements.
- No high-value parts that increase theft risk.
Safety is integrated into all aspects of operation:
- Built-in fire protection systems.
- Automatic safeguards to prevent incorrect feedstock entry.
- Fully enclosed operation to protect users.
- The system can be safely left in place as legacy equipment for local use or, if necessary, abandoned in the field without creating additional risk.
Designed for reliability in austere environments, the system requires minimal infrastructure:
- Powered by a compact diesel generator (self-contained).
- No requirement for external power, gas, or water.
- Can also be connected to mains electricity for semi-permanent installations.
- Field maintenance using basic tools.
- Operates on kerosene or diesel.
- Single-operator functionality.
- Operators fully shielded from moving parts.
- Integrated automatic fire suppression.
- Fumes safely vented away from the operator.
- Optional emission control systems available.
- Propellant residues are safe to handle using standard dust-protection PPE (refer to propellant testing data).