ARMY TM 10-1670-281-23&P
AIR FORCE T.O. 13C5-32-2
NAVY NAVAIR 13-1-32
1-2. Maintenance Forms and Records. Department of the Army forms and procedures used for equipment
maintenance will be those prescribed by DA PAM 738-750, The Army Maintenance Management System, and
DA PAM 738-751, The Army Maintenance Management System - Aviation.
1-3. Destruction of Army Materiel to Prevent Enemy Use. Destruction methods are described in the
following subparagraphs.
a. General.
(1) Objective. Methods of destruction used to inflict damage on delivery platforms should make d
impossible to restore equipment to a usable condition in a combat zone by either repair or cannibalization.
(2) Authority. Destruction of air delivery equipment that is in imminent danger of capture by an enemy
is a command decision that must be made by a battalion or higher commander or the equivalent.
(3) Implementation plan. All units which possess air delivery equipment should have a plan for the
implementation of destruction procedures.
(4) Training. All personnel who use or perform such functions as rigging, packing, maintenance, or
storage of air delivery equipment should receive thorough training on air delivery equipment destruction
procedures and methods. The destruction methods demonstrated during training should be simulated. Upon
completion of training, all applicable personnel should be thoroughly familiar with air delivery equipment
destruction methods and be capable of performing destruction without immediate reference to any publication.
(5) Specific methods. Specific methods of destroying Army materiel to prevent enemy use shall be by
mechanical means, fire or by use of natural surroundings.
b. Destruction by Mechanical Means. Air delivery equipment metal assemblies, parts, and packing aids
shall be destroyed using hammers, bolt cutters, files, hacksaws, drills, screwdrivers, crowbars, or other similar
devices to smash, break, bend or cut.
WARNING
Exercise extreme care when using petroleum products to destroy equipment by
fire, as severe bums or DEATH could result.
c. Destruction by Fire. Items that can be destroyed by fire shall be burned. The destruction of
equipment by use of fire is an effective method of destroying low-melting-point metal items (e.g., side rails,
threaded portions of nuts and bolts, and platform panels). However, mechanical destruction should be
completed first, whenever possible, before initiating destruction by fire. When items to be destroyed are made
of metal, textile materials (or some comparable low combustible material) should be packed under and around
the items, then soaked with a flammable petroleum product and ignited. Proper concentration of equipment
which is suitable for burning will provide a hotter and more destructive fire.
1-4
