Government assured Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) clearance to enable wildfire and environmental management
Environmental management becomes significantly more complex when land is contaminated with UXO. On the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA), Artios Global is demonstrating how government assured Explosive Ordnance Clearance (EOC) services can enable vital wildfire-management and conservation work to proceed safely.
The challenge
SPTA is the UK’s largest live-fire impact area. Its extensive grassland supports important habitats and species, but accumulated vegetation can increase the risk and potential severity of wildfires.
Managing this vegetation requires cutting, mulching and conservation grazing. However, the confirmed high levels of UXO contamination creates significant issue for environmental, land remediation and development projects. Conventional environmental management activities, such as establish and maintenance of firebreaks, cannot proceed safely without specialist explosive ordnance clearance and related risk management activities.
The MOD therefore required an integrated solution that would reduce wildfire risk while protecting personnel, livestock and the environment.
Our solution
Artios was awarded a three-year contract to deliver wildfire-management support across SPTA. The service has two principal elements:
Explosive ordnance clearance and the associated vegetation cutting and mulching to establish and maintain a network more than 25 km of firebreaks.
Emergency UXO clearance support for farmers, allowing livestock to graze within the main impact area to control vegetation growth naturally.
Both elements are delivered twice annually during designated no-fire periods.
Artios manages the complete process, from assessment and operational planning to UXO clearance and vegetation cutting and mulching. This includes supplying and transporting explosives to the site and maintaining the necessary Home Office, police and MOD approvals.
First operational cycle completed
The first delivery cycle was completed on schedule and to the MOD’s required standards during July and August 2026.
During the works, the team identified numerous UXO items and conducted 19 controlled on-site demolitions. The enabled the planned vegetation management and grazing activities to continue.
All completed work also passed the MOD ecologists’ quality control inspections, demonstrating that rigorous explosive ordnance clearance and high environmental standards can be delivered together.
Supporting conservation through assured risk management
This project illustrates a wider principle: the presence of UXO does not have to prevent environmental land management projects.
With early specialist input and an appropriately assured delivery model, UXO risk can be managed as part of a wider conservation programme. This can help organisations undertake:
Habitat restoration and vegetation management
Wildfire prevention and firebreak maintenance
Conservation grazing
Peatland, wetland and woodland restoration
Ecological surveys and monitoring
Access and infrastructure improvements
Artios is the only MOD assured supplier able to provide this integrated wildfire-management service and one of only two commercial organisations assured to conduct explosive ordnance clearance on the Defence Estate.
As wildfire risk increases across the UK and Europe, this capability provides a practical model for supporting conservation organisations, environmental consultancies and land managers working on UXO contaminated land.
Planning work on UXO-contaminated land?
Artios can support projects from initial risk assessment through to clearance, on-site disposal and operational assurance, helping environmental teams deliver safely and with confidence.
Contact us to discuss your project or request a capability briefing.
