96. Crombie, Fife. (NT 043 842)

Defence Munitions centre that stores and tests munitions, mainly for the Royal Navy. Crombie encompasses 200 acres, and stretches for two miles southwards from the village of Crombie to the Firth of Forth. Crombie has a number of underground stores, arms workshops, testing facilties and a jetty. It was originally the main munitions depot for the naval base at Rosyth, but since it's closure, Crombie has been transformed from a conventional munitions depot into a sophisticated weapons processing plant. The base employs 200 people and like Beith[59], the buildings at Crombie have been designed to implode if an explosion occurs.

Munitions housed at Crombie include the SKYFLASH, ALARM and AMRAAM missiles, which are kept in the underground stores. The stores are built to withstand a direct hit from a 1,000lb bomb. Also at Crombie is an Integrated Weapons Complex, which tests, refurbishes and repairs a number of missiles.

Crombie stores Mine Disposal Charges specifically for the Royal Navy that are part of the Remote Control Mine Disposal System. The Royal Naval Countermeasures Squadron used these charges in the Gulf in 2003. In addition to this, as part of the U.K.'s defensive mine policy, Crombie also provides training services for mine clear up operations.

The complex's jetty can accommodate every surface vessel in the British fleet and during Operation Telic, ships were queuing in the Forth to load up on munitions.