Indian Head, Md. –
Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division’s (NSWC IHD) Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Center (EODTECHCEN) co-hosted the second annual EOD Technology and Bombing Prevention Summit at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Dec. 2-4. NSWC IHD co-hosted the event with the United States Bomb Technician Association (USBTA), which brought together hundreds of government, industry, law enforcement, public safety and international EOD leaders and partners.
“The goal of this event is to integrate our critically important community, communicate and align our strategy at the tactical and operational level. It’s going to take all of us to defeat the current and future threats out there while enhancing public safety. We need technology training and policy in order to do that,” NSWC IHD Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Duba said in his opening remarks. “That’s what we’re here to focus on: generating tangible advantage for the operator. It takes everyone coming together at events like these.”
More than 700 attendees attended the three-day event, which featured sessions on current and future states of the bomb disposal community and real-time threat information from experts. The event also included an exhibit floor with 47 industry leaders in the latest state-of-the-art EOD equipment and technology as well as networking opportunities to share best practices and EOD resources.
“The event has been in the works for over a year, and it’s been a huge success,” NSWC IHD EOD Department Assistant Deputy Denice Lee said. “With over 700 registered attendees, 47 exhibiting organizations and more than 100 speakers discussing new approaches to tackle emerging needs and issues, this event is a one-stop-shop to collaborate and innovate on all things EOD.”
NSWC IHD and USBTA signed a public-private partnership agreement in December 2024 under the command's Center for Industrial and Technical Excellence designation. Under the 10-year agreement, NSWC IHD and USBTA will work together to provide test, evaluation, and demonstration and assessment services for energetics and energetic systems.
“Our collaboration with NSWC Indian Head has flourished over the last nine years, and events like this help take it to the next level,” USBTA CEO Sean Dennis said.
NSWC IHD — a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Establishment — is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.