The underwater environment presents unique challenges when developing technologies for the detection, classification, and remediation of munitions. Establishing underwater tests sites to conduct controlled assessments of munitions and explosives of concern (MEC)-related technologies in realistic environments is crucial in progressing toward operational status. The Applied Research Laboratory at the University of Hawai‘i established the Hawai‘i Munitions Test Range Complex (HI_MTRC) at two O‘ahu sites: Moku o Lo‘e on the windward side and Sand Island on the south shore.

HI_MTRC is designed to implement multiple short-duration, rapidly deployable and recoverable test sites across a range of environments around the island of O‘ahu to evaluate best practices and systems for MEC detection and assessment. Uncrewed systems were used to reduce costs, increase the spatial extent of the test site, reduce the time to perform specific tasks while simultaneously extending the duration of operations, and limit human exposure to the elements.

Accomplishments of this effort include identifying and characterizing demonstration sites, developing approaches to rapidly deploy test sites, conducting engineering tests and a scaled deployment at one test site, improving geolocation information using a combination of swimmers, uncrewed systems and precise navigation approaches, and performing a tabletop exercise to evaluate an Optical Munitions Detector at one test site.

The HI_MTRC project demonstrated that a hybrid approach, combining complimentary capabilities of swimmers and uncrewed systems, successfully produced multiple rapidly deployable test sites with a range of seafloor and environmental conditions, covering hundreds of square meters. The HI_MTRC effort also highlighted the benefits of frequent, repetitive field work to assess technology performance under variable conditions.