News

2020-10-13

U.S. Army Fields Latest Chemical Detection Tech

Chemical weapons often pose a serious threat to civilian and warfighter lives. However, technology from the U.S. Army Small Business Technology Transfer programme reduces those risks. In fact, researchers have developed a product to detect chemical weapons accurately at low concentration levels.

Active Army, Reserve and National Guard units started to receive the Chemical Agent Disclosure Spray and the Contamination Indicator/Decontamination Assurance System, known as CIDAS. The Army is fielding it to all units in areas where there is a threat of chemical agents.

The Chemical Agent Disclosure Spray, purchased by FLIR Systems, Inc, has transitioned into the CIDAS Program of Record within the Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense. The research began 20 years ago with a business first spun out of the University of Pittsburgh and later acquired by FLIR, as part of a Small Business Technology Transfer contract managed by the Army Research Office (ARO).

ARO is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory.

Colour-based Reactions

The new technology uses enzymes (complex proteins naturally produced by living organisms that act as a catalyst for specific biochemical reactions) to drive rapid, colour-based reactions with chemical warfare agents. Once applied to a surface as a liquid solution, a vivid colour change indicates the exact location of contamination by a specific chemical warfare agent.

Because the underlying chemistry uses enzymes to drive specific biochemical reactions, the technology is highly resistant to potential forms of chemical and environmental interference that might be problematic for conventional detection equipment. The product’s sensitivity also provides the ability to determine whether decontamination was effective.

“Our Agentase C2 spray technology offers unprecedented performance, enabling rapid detection of highly toxic substances while reducing the lifecycle cost of decontamination operations,” said David Cullin, vice president of business development-Detection for FLIR Systems.

Products previously available for the detection of nerve and blister chemical agents range from simple units that use colorimetric techniques, wherein the presence of a chemical substance is indicated by a specific colour change, to more complex systems that use special equipment.

Capability Kit

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the DOD agency responsible for countering weapons of mass destruction, provided additional funding to bridge the technology from development to capability delivery.

JPEO-CBRND, the DOD entity that manages the country’s investments in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence equipment, adopted the technology as part of the Domestic Response Capability Kit.

The kit packages the chemical components into a simple, pen-like construct, an easy-to-use point-and-touch detection as well as a spray-based formulation of the same technology. The kits have been fielded to all 57 Army National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams across the country.

Now, U.S. National Guard units throughout every state maintain the capability to provide for detection, personal protection, decontamination and medical monitoring against chemical agents.

Additionally, JPEO-CBRND recently awarded FLIR an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity five-year contract worth up to US$21.8 million to support the Army’s CIDAS programme.

This award initiates the full-rate production phase to field the product to units throughout the Army. Shipments are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Enhanced Visual Response

The FLIR Agentase C2 agent disclosure spray is the most sensitive point detector for chemical nerve agents (G- & V-series) and sulphur mustard (HD). It uses colorimetric technology to reveal the exact location of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) contamination on a surface at sub-microgram (trace) levels within five minutes.

Once applied to a surface, the standard aqueous spray changes colour from yellow to red to indicate the presence of a CWA threat. The colour change reveals the exact location of the agent contamination, making the invisible threat visible. An optional fluorescent additive enhances the visual response when used in poor lighting conditions with an ultraviolet (UV) light.

Easy to use Confidence Check Cards are available to verify reconstituted spray is operational and performing according to specifications. During the early stages of consequence management, Agentase C2 can be used to detect trace-level contamination before long-term exposure causes harm or loss of life. As part of the decontamination process, it reveals specific hot spots, enabling users to focus and reduce the amount of decontaminant used, lowering costs up to five-fold.

Reference Text/Photo:www.army.mil, www.flir.com

Comments () Views (10744 ) Print

Send To Friend