Decontamination (SDD)

Abstract

This project supports the development of Contamination Mitigation (ConMit) systems utilizing solutions that remove and/or detoxify contaminated material without damaging combat equipment, platforms, personnel, or the environment, helping sustain a resilient force posture, one of the efforts outlined in the National Defense Strategy. ConMit systems provide a force restoration capability for units that become contaminated. Development efforts will provide systems that reduce operational impact and logistics burden, reduce sustainment costs, increase safety, and minimize environmental effects associated with decontamination and contamination mitigation operations. Experimentation and demonstration will be used in this phase to reduce risk and inform supporting materiel solutions, Concept of Operations and Tactics, Techniques & Procedures. In FY2023, the CBDP RDT&E Projects have been restructured to align to the CBDP portfolio. DE5 efforts in FY2022 progress to the Enabling Investments (EN5) and Mitigate (MT5) portfolios. This restructuring is intended to provide standardization and alignment across CBDP research, development and acquisition efforts. Efforts included in this Project are: (1) Decontamination Family of Systems (DFoS) Contamination Indicator Decontamination Assurance System (CIDAS) Blister **Progresses to MT5 in FY2023**, (2) DFoS CIDAS Nerve, (3) Forward Area Mobility Spray - System (FAMS-S) **Progresses to MT5 in FY2023**, (4) Joint Biological Agent Decontamination System (JBADS), (5) Joint Biological Agent Decontamination System Lite (JBADS Lite) (Congressional Interest Item), (6) Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) **Progresses to EN5 in FY2023**, and (7) Services Equipment Decontamination System (SEDS) **Progresses to MT5 in FY2023** DFOS CIDAS is a contamination indicator and decontamination assurance technology. The indicator will be sprayed on tactical vehicles, ships, crew-served weapons, and individual weapons that may have been exposed to traditional and non- traditional chemical contamination. DFoS CIDAS is a new capability for the Joint Forces that will reduce the logistics burden of decontamination by indicating presence and location of traditional (Nerve and Blister) and non-traditional chemical agents on militarily relevant surfaces pre- and post-decontamination. This helps sustain a resilient force posture, making the Joint Force more adaptable against the uncertainty in a changing global strategic environment, an effort listed in the National Defense Strategy under building a more lethal force. It will consist of an indicator and an applicator, with two applicator configurations -- small-scale and tactical large scale applicator -- and three indicator formulations -- nerve training, nerve and blister indicators. The DFoS CIDAS Blister program addresses traditional blister agents, two separate threat scenarios that require different materiel solutions, modernizing a key capability to help build a more lethal force, as outlined in the National Defense Strategy. The DFoS CIDAS Nerve Program will provide the Joint Forces with a new capability to reduce the logistics burden of decontamination by indicating presence and location of traditional Nerve and non-traditional chemical agents on militarily relevant surfaces pre- and post-decontamination. It will consist of an indicator and an applicator, for which there will be two applicator configurations (small scale and tactical large scale) and two indicator formulations (nerve training and nerve). Post application, the DFoS CIDAS Nerve will not cause material degradation other than that which is allowable in service platforms' specifications to complete primary mission functions. FY21 is the last year of BA5 funding for this program. The FAMS-S, which was a new start in FY21, will provide Special Operations Forces (SOF) and SOF Task Forces (SOTFs) with transportable, rapidly-deployable decontamination systems in three variants: man-portable, small vehicle-mounted, and large vehicle-mounted systems to rapidly decontaminate chemical and biological (CB) agents from the exterior of vehicles and support equipment to a level that is clean enough for re-use during missions without the need for donning CB personal protective equipment. This will maximize tactical flexibility and fighting strength while minimizing the logistical burden and the cost of conducting Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) and CB operations. The Joint Biological Agent Decontamination System (JBADS) will provide the capability to conduct biological agent decontamination of the interior and exterior of aircraft. There is currently no capability to decontaminate both the inside and outside of aircraft. Additionally, this design incorporates a chemical liner for potential chemical agent decontamination ability. The JBADS capability set will include a decontamination delivery system using hot-humid air, shelter to encapsulate an airframe, an environmental control and monitoring system(s), and other ancillary components. It will provide the capability to decontaminate biologically contaminated airframes to safe levels, allow more rapid return to service and provides a key cornerstone to future decontamination capability. The JBADS focus is on the biological agent decontamination of the C-130 aircraft and future efforts may address chemical and biological decontamination of other airframes and vehicles. FY21 is the last year of BA5 funding for this program. The JBADS Lite (Congressional Interest Item) effort will research and analyze, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, how JBADS decontamination technology could be utilized in the pandemic preparedness of civilian transportation systems. This is a FY21 congressional interest item and no further funding is anticipated. The MDAP Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Survivability Initiative ensures weapon system programs at all Acquisition Category (ACAT) levels, as well as non-DoD agency programs such as those at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), meet their CBRN defense requirements. In FY23, this effort continues to facilitate and coordinate the research, development, test and evaluation, procurement, delivery, and life cycle sustainment of affordable CBRN defense materiel solutions for each program's documented CBRN requirements. The Service Equipment Decontamination System (SEDS) program will develop reliable and modular hardware intended to decontaminate military equipment in operational environments including personal effects, and weapons to pre-contamination conditions for immediate re-use. This capability is needed to sustain the Joint Force military by reducing logistical burden to increase tactical agility and sustain a resilient force posture, and align with the National Defense Strategy. SEDS will provide contamination mitigation capabilities for critical equipment that have been exposed to chemical and biological contamination and achieve efficacy levels that allow unprotected post-decontamination exposures for long periods with less than negligible severity effects.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2023
• Source ID: DE5_0604384BP_5_0400_PB_2023

Tags

Readers

• Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.