Outdated firearm ammunition: Numerous suggestions, absence of strategy
In the summer of 2024, Armasuisse, the Swiss federal office for defence procurement, launched an intriguing public ideas competition. The competition, offering a prize of 50,000 francs, aimed to gather suggestions on how to safely and environmentally friendly retrieve approximately 8000 tons of military ammunition submerged in Lakes Thun, Brienz, and Lucerne.
The ammunition, some of which lies at depths of 150 to 220 meters under murky water, is sometimes hidden under meter-thick sediment layers. The competition attracted a diverse range of ideas, including the use of dolphins or equipping schoolchildren with magnetic fishing rods.
Other proposed techniques suggested by military authorities include magnetic lifters, screening claws, and underwater suction devices. However, Armasuisse spokesman Kaj-Gunnar Sievert has stated that there is no further information on the matter itself.
By February 2025, the competition had received over 100 submissions. The evaluation of these ideas is ongoing, with the presentation of results delayed beyond initial expectations. It is worth noting that the experimental ideas competition, originally conceived in the "Innovation Spaces VBS," is now considered somewhat out of place due to heightened security concerns and procurement problems in the army.
Despite this, the purpose of the idea collection is primarily to build knowledge about possible methods, with inputs from industry and science expected. The federal council has not issued any media release regarding the competition since its launch.
Several risk analyses have shown that the unused ammunition poses no threat, according to a 2020 report by the Department of Defense (VBS). However, a potential hazard remains, as a release of harmful substances could prompt the retrieval of the submerged ammunition.
It can be assumed that the VBS is currently focusing on other priorities than fishing in the murky waters for old ammunition. No immediate retrieval of the ammunition is planned, according to Armasuisse. The federal office for military procurement has not made any public announcements about the competition results.
This unique competition, while delayed, continues to spark curiosity and innovation, demonstrating the potential for unconventional solutions to complex environmental and safety challenges.
Read also:
- Planned construction of enclosures within Görlitzer Park faces delays
- European Construction Regulations Face Disruption due to Advocacy for Hydrogen Heating - Euractiv
- "Germany appears less environmentally friendly compared to Texas, according to Harald Lesch's climate documentary"
- Fresh Investments in Fossil Fuels Are Overseen by Equinor, Shell, and BP
