QinetiQ operates Ministry of Defence Shoeburyness on behalf of the MOD under a contract known as the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA). The service provided by QinetiQ under the LTPA is known as T3E (Test, Trials, Training and Evaluation), which helps to ensure the safety and effectiveness of munitions and skills used by the UK Armed Services. The purpose of the service can be summarised as follows:
- To ensure that weapon systems for our Armed Services are safe and function as intended, it is essential for them to be tested thoroughly throughout their development. At Shoeburyness, this is done by firing, shaking, rattling, rolling, dropping, heating and freezing equipment and munitions.
- Safe disposal of stressed or life-expired ammunition.
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training techniques are taught during military training courses by recreating realistic scenarios involving live ammunition. Many of the service personnel trained here are deployed on active service shortly after completing the course. For further information on the work of the DEMS (Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search) Training Regiment, visit the Army website.
The location, facilities and expertise at MOD Shoeburyness provide a secure environment for these activities to be conducted safely and effectively. Take a quick look behind the scenes by watching this short video.
For more information about our capabilities at MOD Shoeburyness, visit the T3E website.