An ammunition dump, or ammo dump, is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives. The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently hazardous. There is the potential for accidents in unloading, packing and transfer; the threat of theft, misuse or sabotage; and, if neglected, the near-certainty that poorly stored explosive will degrade and become shock-sensitive over time.
The typical ammo dump will have several of the following elements:
- A buffer zone or cleared area of at least several hundred feet (sometimes as much as 1-2 km or 1 mile) surrounding the facility, in the event of an explosion
- Perimeter security, such as a fence, to avoid casual access by unauthorized persons
- Guards equipped and in numbers relative to the potential threat from enemy forces
- Bunkers where ammunition is stored under lock and key
- Blast barriers, such as an earth berm or buried pit, to divert the force of the blast (typically upward, but sometimes to the side) in case the ammunition detonates
- A loading area for transferring stored ammunition to and from trucks, ships, etc.
- A flooding system in large facilities to put out a fire or prevent an explosion
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