Ready-Service Magazines

Ready-service magazines (fig. 11-5) are designated spaces located near the weapon or area to be served. Normally, they are equipped with thermal insulation, ventilation, and a sprinkling system. They are securely locked. Certain magazines located within the armor box of aircraft carriers and used for stowage of completely assembled rounds of weapons and deployable targets are also ready-service magazines.

Lockers

Certain compartments or lockers are used to stow special types of ammunition and ammunition components, such as detonators, pyrotechnics, and chemicals. They are frequently located on the weather deck. They are located as conveniently to the weapon or space to be served as possible. They may not be equipped with sprinklers, but they do have locking devices. Special flare ready-service lockers are located

Figure 11-5.-Typical missile ready-service magazine.

at outboard locations on aircraft carriers for short-term stowage of aircraft parachute flares. These flares have either been removed from the primary pyrotechnics magazines and prepared for launching or they have been returned intact after a mission. If necessary, these lockers are manually jettisoned. A label is installed on the locker identifying the type of explosives that are stowed within each locker. Where stowage for ammunition is provided by lockers, chests, or racks that are permanently secured to the ship's structure, don't change their location without prior approval of NAVSEASYSCOM.

Chemical Magazines

Chemical ammunition classified as lethal or incapacitating isn't carried aboard ships unless specifically authorized by NAVSEASYSCOM or higher authority. If authorized, specific stowage instructions are issued by NAVSEASYSCOM, and personnel involved in handling procedures must receive appropriate training. Specific spaces aboard ship may be designated as chemical magazines by NAVSEASYSCOM. The decks and bulkheads of a chemical magazine are coated with an impermeable material, and the magazine contains a provision for sampling its internal atmosphere from an adjacent compartment. Facilities for personnel and gross decontamination are located near the magazine.

IMPROVED REARMING RATE PROGRAM

Modern naval aircraft carriers incorporate a magazine stowage concept called "modular stowage." The modular stowage concept gives greater versatility in magazine stowage arrangement and minimizes ammunition handling. It makes it easier to stow ammunition, such as bombs and missiles, as fleet issue loads. Also, it isn't necessary to depalletize or decan loads before they are stowed. The incorporation of

modular stowage and the addition of larger weapons elevators to service these areas brought about the Improved Rearming Rate Program (IRRP).

The IRRP allows major handling time improvements in two areas-rearming and weapons assembly. Stowing ammunition as received on pallets lets handling crews rearm the ship's mission load in less time than the old system. In turn, handling time is minimized during weapons assembly.

DESIGNATION OF MAGAZINES

Magazines or ammunition spaces afloat are designated with particular reference to the purpose intended. Generally, magazines aboard ship are designated to hold a single type of ammunition.

Single-Purpose Magazine

Magazines are designated as single-purpose stowage magazines whenever practical. The following are single-purpose magazine designations: powder and

rocket motor magazine; hyperbolic rocket engine magazine; fixed ammunition magazine; small arms magazine; missile magazine; warhead locker or magazine; aircraft bomb magazine; projectile and rocket head magazine; fuze magazine; detonator locker; pyrotechnic magazine or locker; ready-service ammunition room, box, rack, or locker; and chemical magazine.

Multipurpose Magazine

While stowage of a single type of ammunition in an individual magazine is desirable, it isn't always possible. NAVSEASYSCOM authorizes certain mixed stowages in magazines that retain a single-purpose designation. Where stowage space is limited and the mission requires carrying various types of ammunition, stowage of more than one type of ammunition in a magazine is an acceptable hazard. Authorization for this type of stowage is at the discretion of the operational commander.

AMMUNITION STOWAGE REQUIREMENTS

Generally, there are magazines for each type of ammunition stowed aboard ship. Ammunition, explosives, and explosive components are stowed in specifically designated stowage spaces. Ammunition stowage spaces aboard ships are limited, and in certain classes of ships, extremely limited. Therefore, ammunition stowed aboard ship should stay within authorized ammunition allowances. Its important for shipboard ammunition to be stowed so maximum effectiveness is achieved. For these reasons, strict compliance with ammunition stowage by compatibility groupings aboard ship, while desirable and observed when practical, may not be feasible. When mixed stowage is used, make sure that it conforms to the stowage tables listed in Ammunition Afloat, NAVSEA OP 4.

Table 11-1 is an example of the permissible mixed stowage of ammunition types in shipboard magazines. The different types of ammunition are listed in the first column of table 11-1. The types of magazines are listed across the top of the table. The type of ammunition is stowed only in those magazines indicated by a black box intersecting the horizontal line for the ammunition item and the vertical line for the type of magazine.