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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)
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      Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)


      Mission: The safe elimination of chemical weapons at Pueblo and Blue Grass by Sept. 30, 2023

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      BGCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky.

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Facts: ACWA Test Equipment (ATE)

Published: April 12, 2021 | Category: PCAPP Facts

The Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives, or PEO ACWA, is responsible for the safe and environmentally sound destruction of the chemical munitions stockpiles stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky, and the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD), Colorado. Critical to preparing the workforce that is destroying those munitions is the use of simulated munitions known as ACWA Test Equipment, or ATE.

ATE munitions are described as both dummy and inert. The term “dummy,” as part of ATE terminology, refers to equipment that resembles the shape of a munition component without moving or internal parts and can be either solid or hollow. The term “inert,” means the pieces contain no energetic or explosive materials.

ATE is used to train workers before they begin processing actual munitions through the plant. These simulated munitions look, weigh and handle like real chemical rounds; however, they do not contain explosives or chemical agent. These simulated munitions are handled with the same care as real munitions and make for safer working conditions. During the course of training, some ATE munitions are destroyed in the process, while others will be refurbished for repeated use.

All ATE munitions used at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) and the PCAPP Training Facility are painted a military-specified bronze color for training and testing purposes.

Some ATE munitions are filled with water for training purposes to simulate liquid mustard agent.

The ATE munitions came to PCD from a central storage facility located at Deseret Chemical Depot in Tooele, Utah.

Side-by-side comparisons show the standard 155mm projectile (left) that were destroyed at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot and the mock, or inert, ATE version (right) used to train workers at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Training Facility. The bronze color specifies that the projectile is intended only for training or testing purposes. ATE munitions representing both the 105mm projectiles and 4.2-inch mortar rounds stockpiled at the depot are also painted in bronze to distinguish them from the real munitions.

155mm projectile

155mm projectile

ATE simulated 155mm projectile

ATE simulated 155mm projectile

Download Fact Sheet
PCAPP ATE, PCAPP Main Plant

PCAPP Facts

  • Facts: Acronyms Commonly Used in the Chemical Weapons Program

  • Facts: Agent Filtration Area

  • Facts: Automated Guided Vehicle

  • Facts: Baseline Reconfiguration

  • Facts: Biotreatment Process

  • Facts: Chemical Munitions at Pueblo

  • Facts: Chemical Weapons Destruction at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot

  • Facts: Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission

  • Facts: Employment and Subcontracting Information

  • Facts: Hydrolysate Overview

  • Facts: Munitions Handling Lift Assist

  • Facts: Munitions Treatment Unit

  • Facts: Munitions Washout System

  • Facts: Neutralization Followed by Biotreatment

  • Facts: Partners in the Pueblo Chemical Weapons Destruction Program

  • Facts: PCAPP Employment Frequently Asked Questions

  • Facts: PCAPP Training Facility

  • Facts: Personnel Reliability Program

  • Facts: Projectile/Mortar Disassembly System

  • Facts: Static Detonation Chamber

  • Facts: The Treatment or Disposal of Secondary Wastes

  • Facts: Understanding Operations Terminology

  • Facts: Water for Weapons Destruction: Source, Quantity, Groundwater Protection

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