[[Image:Iowa Explosion.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[USS Iowa (BB-61)|USS ''Iowa'']]’s #2 turret exploded [[19 April]] [[1989]] for undertmined reasons during a routine live fire training exercise.]]
One cannot address live fire exercisisexercises without addressing the dangers of live fire exercises. In any situation in which [[Hazardous material]]s are involved there exists the potential for a mishap to occur, and when these mishaps occur the results can be as spectalular as they are deadly. All forms of ordinance contain some type of [[explosive]] charge to launch and, in most cases, detonate, a weapon. If these charges are inapropreitly stored or handled the result can be serious injury or death to the person and anyone in the immediate vicinity. Other dangers include faulty guidance and sensory information, which can cause guided ordinance to inadvertently target friendly or neutral units. Advances in technology have helped to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, problems with these materials, none-the-less extreme care must be given when using or implimenting them, for example, the handling of gunpowder demands the use of [[gloves]] and an area free of static electricity and other potential sparks which could ignite the powder.
