Underwater Explosion Testing Facility
Parent Body: Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), South Arm Site, Rosyth Royal Dockyard, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 2XR

Principal Function
Evaluation of equipment and structures subjected to non contact underwater explosions (UNDEX). DERA Rosyth undertakes a wide variety of shock trials for various sponsors. The trials can range from small purpose built scale models through to full scale operational warships and submarines.

Trial Site Details
The River Forth UNDEX test sites are adjacent to the DERA Rosyth laboratories within Rosyth Royal Dockyard. Tests using up to 450Kg of explosives can be performed in comparatively sheltered water conditions and at selected water depths ranging from 5 to 35 metres. There is ready access to tidal berths, craneage, syncro-lift and other dockyard facilities.

Surface Ship Barge, STV01
STV01 is a flat bottomed floating shock platform, which is a simplified surface ship hull form into which plant and equipment of up to 40 tonnes can be installed.  The test area measures 7m by 3m and the barge can be used to satisfy MILSPEC 901D, NATO STANAG 4150 and UK design criteria.  Equipment ranging from pumps and motors through to Spey Gas Turbine and Diesel Generators have all been shock qualified in the barge.

Surface Ship Barge, STV02
STV02 has a simulated submarine hull form and can accommodate in excess of 300 tonnes of equipment in an accessible test area of 14.6m by 9.75m. Hull, deck and bulkhead mounting environments can be undertaken in this platform.

Test Specifications
The barges can meet the requirements of MILSPEC 901D, NATO STANAG 4150 and UK design criteria.

Operational Vessels
DERA Rosyth can plan, manage, conduct and report on UNDEX shock trials and has recently conducted a First of Class Shock Trials for the Royal Navy (HMS Pembroke).

TSV Cameron
DERA Rosyth own the Trials Support Vessel, “CAMERON”. The vessel is fitted with winches and horns capable of lifting and deploying targets weighing up to 35 tonnes. A 10 tonne fixed radius crane can reach both sides of the vessel and a 5 tonne capstan provides additional heaving power.

Special Features
Engineering design and fabrication can manufacture all the required test components 128 channels of extensive quality instrumentation including strain, velocity, acceleration, displacement captured on high-speed digital data acquisition equipment. Software analysis capability, analysis of data in time and frequency domain, export of data in digital format. Extensive Modal Analysis facilities and Finite Element Analysis can be provided.

Availability
The barges are available all year, there are however certain restrictions governing detonations in the river estuary. The facility is available to organisations in the public and private sectors.

Charging Basis
Cost estimates are provided together with a Scope of Work for Customer review.

Contact Information
Mr Lindsay Morris
Centre for Marine Technology
Marine Structures Department
DERA Rosyth, South Arm Site
Rosyth Royal Dockyard
Dunfermline
Fife, KY11 2XR
Tel: 01383 435190   Fax: 01383 435129
Email:  lmorris@mail.dera.gov.uk