YORKTOWN — Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is spearheading a comprehensive, multi-year modernization of its ordnance storage facilities, according to the installation.
The modernization effort supports the mission of the Navy Munitions Command Atlantic to manage the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet arsenal. According to the station, the completion and opening of the installation’s new weapons magazine group earlier this month is a key step, as aging infrastructure has hampered the installation’s ordnance storage capabilities.
Established Aug. 7, 1918, as the U.S. Navy Mine Depot, NWS Yorktown holds a significant place in naval history and continues to be of vital strategic importance. According to the station, its protected deep-water access on the York River provides a critical explosive corridor to the Atlantic, making it an essential hub for the nation’s warfighting capabilities.
The installation serves as the U.S. Navy’s primary East Coast ordnance and ammunition storage center and is the main ordnance load-out point for surface combatants and submarines, NWS Yorktown officials said. The installation and its more than 40 tenant commands are also the largest employer in York County, according to statistics released last year.
“Yorktown is where our Nation’s Independence was won and continues to play a vital role in the safety, security, and defense of our country today,” said Capt. Dan Patrick, commanding officer of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.
That sentiment carries added weight amid the current operational tempo in the Middle East, according to the station.
Despite its location, nearly 70 percent of the installation’s more than 200 weapons magazines were constructed before 1960, according to NWS Yorktown. Many of the small, igloo-type magazines average about 85 years old. Officials say many of the aging facilities face capacity, configuration and condition issues that affect the station’s ability to safely and efficiently support the Atlantic Fleet and allied partners.
“These new magazines, with wider doors and large handling areas, will significantly improve operational efficiency and safety for our workforce,” said David Reeves, operations manager for Navy Munitions Command Atlantic Detachment Yorktown.
According to the station, upgrading to new state-of-the-art weapons magazines required an extensive military construction project that replaced several aging facilities with 32 earth-covered “7-bar” magazines. The designation indicates a high level of blast resistance, allowing the magazines to be placed closer together and improving land-use efficiency.
The new magazines were built with heavily reinforced concrete and include advanced safety features such as specialized lighting and ventilation systems designed to ensure the thermal stability and security of stored munitions. Officials say a mandatory two-foot-thick earth covering provides insulation and protection against blast waves and fragments.
“The primary purpose of an Earth-Covered Magazine is not to contain an internal explosion but to shield its contents from a blast in an adjacent magazine, preventing a catastrophic chain reaction,” said Scott Jenkins, facilities engineer for Navy Munitions Command Atlantic.
According to the Navy, this new weapons magazine group is aligned closely with efforts to Bolster the Foundation and ensures that ordnance production meets contracted demand as promulgated in NAVADMIN 180/25 released by Admiral Daryl Caudle, the 34th Chief of Naval Operations.
The initiative to demolish, build and complete new weapons magazines is structured across seven phases, according to NWS Yorktown. The project includes demolishing more than 40 aging earth-covered magazines, some dating back to the station’s establishment in 1918.
Officials say the first phase, which included 10 new magazines, has been completed. A second phase that will deliver five additional magazines is nearing completion.
According to the station, the modernization effort will provide Navy Munitions Command Atlantic with secure facilities capable of storing the Atlantic Fleet’s modern weapons systems while meeting the configuration and security requirements for current and future weapons programs.
“The investment in new modern magazines ensures that NMCLANT can provide safe, effective and efficient Fleet Ordnance Support at NWS Yorktown for decades to come,” said Capt. Steve Folsom, commanding officer of Navy Munitions Command Atlantic.
