OXON HILL, Md. — The inaugural Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technology and Bombing Prevention Summit, co-hosted by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) and the United States Bomb Technician Association (USBTA), brought together nearly 600 participants from around the globe. Held December 3-5 at National Harbor, Maryland, the event convened government, industry, law enforcement, and international EOD leaders to address critical challenges in the field.
“This is the largest gathering for EOD technicians, bombing prevention professionals, and industry partners from around the world,” said NSWC IHD Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Duba during his opening remarks. “We’re living through some extremely dynamic and challenging times. Relevant, timely technology advancements are needed to address gaps in our capabilities. The military can’t solve this problem alone. Industry can’t solve this alone. Our state and local teammates can’t solve this alone. We all play different roles, but we must come together for this mission.”
Collaboration and Innovation at the Core
The three-day summit provided an unprecedented platform for attendees to explore the current and future landscape of the bomb disposal community. Sessions featured real-time threat assessments and insights from top experts, while the exhibit hall showcased cutting-edge equipment and technology from 44 industry leaders.
“Our original intent was to demonstrate our abilities as a technical agent in the EOD community by bringing together innovative technology from academia, industry, government agencies, and others,” said Denice Lee, NSWC IHD’s EOD Deputy Department Head. “This technology may not be developed specifically for the EOD mission as-is, but with our unique perspectives, we can work to make it interoperable with other systems or designed to close a gap in capabilities.”
Strengthening Partnerships
On December 2, just prior to the summit, NSWC IHD and USBTA signed a 10-year public-private partnership agreement under the command’s Center for Industrial and Technical Excellence designation. This collaboration aims to enhance test, evaluation, and demonstration services for energetics and energetic systems.
“The current and future mission of the EOD Technology Center requires industry partners,” said Jason Perry, NSWC IHD EOD Department Head. “That collaboration creates innovation and opportunities for us to look at new tools, technology, and information. EOD operators and public safety bomb technicians from local, state, and federal levels can work together to face the future fight.”
A Resounding Success
Attendees praised the event for its breadth of resources and opportunities to forge meaningful connections across sectors. Networking sessions allowed participants to share best practices, explore the latest tools, and discuss emerging threats with peers from diverse backgrounds.
“This has been a great success,” Lee said. “For our first year to get this response and amount of people interested in participating has been really telling that it’s been needed in the EOD community. This was not only educating the military, or the security professionals, or the people using this technology, but also the ones building it who can help us get where we need to go.”
The summit not only emphasized the critical role of technology in addressing modern threats but also underscored the importance of collaboration between the military, industry, and public safety professionals.
Moving Forward
With the success of its inaugural year, the EOD Technology and Bombing Prevention Summit has laid the groundwork for future events that can further enhance innovation and operational effectiveness. As the EOD community continues to face evolving threats, events like this will remain vital in advancing the tools, techniques, and partnerships needed to safeguard communities worldwide.
