Our wet blasting technology is used to clean and finish a wide range of land-based, naval, and aerospace defence components and materiel worldwide.
Wet blasting is a critical process for maintaining the operational readiness, longevity, and reliability of defence components across all branches of the military.
It is particularly effective at maintenance, overhaul, and repair operations thanks to its speed, combining cleaning and surface finishing processes into a single operation. Wet blasting cleans and finishes components safely by containing harmful dust and paint particles in the process’ water.
Click on the broad categories below to browse the defence component types that are relevant to your operation.
The applications and benefits of finishing aerospace components by wet blasting are covered in detail on our Aerospace MRO and Aerospace OEM pages.
Contact us to discuss your defence component cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting is essential for cleaning and finishing ground defence vehicles, as it removes rust, coatings, and contaminants. This process prevents corrosion, enhances durability, and prepares surfaces for optimal adhesion of protective coatings or paint. Wet blasting ensures these vehicles remain reliable, operational, and ready for extreme conditions and demanding environments.
Tanks and armoured vehicles: Thorough cleaning (removing grease, oil, rust, and carbon buildup) and paint stripping in preparation for crack detection and subsequent re-coating. The water in wet blasting contains any toxic harmful paint dust, or even asbestos, that might exist, unlike dry blasting. The process does not tie up the time of skilled staff with laborious manual cleaning.
Engine and drivetrain components: Degreasing and cleaning components like cylinder heads, pistons, crankshafts, valves, gearboxes, and axles. Wet blasting using a glass bead media cleans and demagnetises components, helping to ensure metal contaminants are fully removed.
Cleaning brake components: Wet blasting cleans brake drums, discs, callipers, and other components by removing contaminants such as dirt, grease, oil, and rust without damaging the underlying surface. It can also strip paint and prepare surfaces for reassembly, painting, coating, or other treatments by creating a clean, consistent finish.
Suspension and undercarriage: Cleaning parts such as coil springs, dampers, and tracks to ensure operational reliability.
Weapon mounts and turrets: Cleaning and preparation for resurfacing weapon mounts to maintain proper alignment and functionality.
Wet blasting cleans and finishes artillery systems by removing contaminants, rust, and coatings, ensuring reliability, preventing corrosion, enhancing surface adhesion for protective layers, and maintaining optimal performance in demanding operational conditions.
Gun barrels and breech components: Removing carbon fouling, rust, and wear residues from howitzers and other large artillery. Cleaning bores rapidly to quickly get artillery pieces back into service without damaging barrel rifling.
Shell casings and breech blocks: Cleaning and finishing components to ensure smooth operation.
Teflon coating removal and re-application:Rapid coating and surface preparation for re-application in a single operation.
Wet blasting cleans military transport and utility vehicles by removing dirt, rust, and old coatings, preventing corrosion, enhancing surface finish, and ensuring durability, optimal performance, and effective protection in harsh environments.
Structural frames: Cleaning truck frames and support structures to prepare for repair or re-painting.
Cooling systems: Cleaning radiators and heat exchangers to improve thermal efficiency.
Contact us to discuss your land-based defence system cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting cleans naval components by removing salt, corrosion, and debris, preventing further damage, enhancing surface integrity, ensuring effective coating adhesion, and improving durability to withstand harsh marine environments and extend service life.
Propellers and Shafts: Removing marine growth, rust, and saltwater corrosion for optimal performance.
Hull Fittings: Cleaning rudders, keels, and other underwater components for inspection or maintenance.
Internal Piping and Valves: Descaling and cleaning for efficient fluid transfer and system functionality.
Naval Gun Barrels: Cleaning and resurfacing naval guns to maintain accuracy and prevent wear.
Missile Launch Tubes: Preparing launch systems for operation by removing scale and residues.
Winches and Anchors: Cleaning for maintenance and re-coating.
Hydraulic Systems: Cleaning cylinders and components to maintain proper operation.
Contact us to discuss your naval component cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting cleans weapons and ordnance by removing dirt, carbon buildup, and corrosion, enhancing surface smoothness, preventing wear, ensuring proper coating adhesion, and maintaining reliability, accuracy, and longevity in demanding conditions.
Firearms: Removing fouling, corrosion, and old coatings from barrels, receivers, and slides. Flushing through the barrels of small-bore guns. Creating a better surface for plating and a subsequent longer plating life. Cleaning and creating an ideal surface for spot repairs. While more of a non-military requirement, wet blasting can prepare surfaces for cosmetic finishes.
Machine Gun Parts: Cleaning high-usage components to prevent malfunctions.
Shell Casings: Restoring spent brass or steel casings for recycling or re-manufacturing.
Missile Casings: Cleaning and preparing for re-painting or decommissioning.
Bomb Casings: Cleaning and finishing for storage or refurbishment.
Grenade Bodies: Removing surface contamination and preparation for coating.
Contacts us to discuss your weapons and ordnance cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting cleans military electronics and sensitive equipment by removing coatings and contaminants, ensuring precision, preventing corrosion, and enhancing surface integrity, which helps maintain functionality, reliability, and longevity in harsh and demanding environments.
Circuit boards Wet blasting is highly effective at removing protective coatings prior to the repair of circuit boards.
Radar and sensor housings: Cleaning enclosures to remove contaminants while maintaining surface precision.
Cooling systems: Cleaning fins, heat sinks, and cooling lines for improved efficiency.
Communications equipment: Preparing metal casings and mounts for maintenance.
Electric motor rewinding: Cleaning electric motor components prior to rewinding.
Contacts us to discuss your electronics and sensitive equipment cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting cleans missiles and rockets by removing contaminants, corrosion, and coatings, ensuring smooth surfaces, enhancing adhesion for protective layers, and maintaining performance, reliability, and durability in demanding, high-stress environments.
Launch tubes: Cleaning and preparing launch canisters for operational readiness.
Rocket motors and fins: Removing contaminants and preparing for inspection or refinishing.
Contacts us to discuss your missile and rocket cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting cleans military personal protective equipment by removing contaminants, dirt, and corrosion, ensuring enhanced durability, surface integrity, and optimal coating adhesion, improving performance, comfort, and reliability in demanding environments.
Helmets and armour: Cleaning and refinishing metal or composite surfaces for re-use. Composites can be cleaned using plastic media which is gentle enough to avoid damaging the material’s fibres.
Ceramic plates and shields:Removing surface debris without damaging structural integrity.
Visit our composites industry page for a more thorough explanation of the applications and benefits of finishing composites by wet blasting.
Contacts us to discuss your personal protective equipment cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting cleans military support equipment by removing rust, dirt, and old coatings, enhancing surface integrity, preventing corrosion, and ensuring optimal performance, durability, and reliable functionality in demanding operational environments.
Hydraulic and pneumatic systems: Cleaning components like pistons, cylinders, and hoses for repair or reuse.
Generators and power systems: Cleaning alternators, rotors, and housing for field generators.
Contacts us to discuss your support equipment cleaning and finishing requirements
Wet blasting offers a fast and safe way to clean, decontaminate, paint strip, and prepare for inspection and subsequent re-coating or bonding. With the ability to perform multiple processes in one wet blast operation it is an extremely effective and safe way to get military assets back in service in the shortest possible time.
