Protect (ATD)

Abstract

The Protect Advanced Technology Development (ATD) Project enhances mission performance while providing effective protection against current and emerging chemical and biological (CB) threats, enables Joint Force lethality by protecting Warfighters against adverse effects of CB hazards, and fields protection capabilities against engineered biological agents, opioids and other Pharmaceutical Based Agents (PBAs), and Fourth Generation Agents (FGAs). In FY 2023, the Chemical Biological Defense Program (CBDP) RDT&E Projects were restructured to align with the CBDP portfolio construct. PT3 efforts in FY 2022 remain in Projects CB3 and TM3. This restructuring provided standardization and alignment across CBDP research, development and acquisition efforts. Thrust Areas included in this Project are: (1) Biological Warfare Defense Prophylaxis (2) Air Purification Enhancements (3) All-Hazards & Respiratory Protection (4) Dynamic Multifunctional Materials for Second Skin (5) Enhanced Survivability Coatings (6) Lightweight Protective Garments (7) Multifunctional Materials for Protection (8) Nerve Agent Prophylaxis/Pretreatments Biological Warfare Defense Prophylaxis: Provides the Warfighter protection against biothreat agents through the pre-exposure administration of prophylactics against known bacterial, viral and toxin agents of interest and emerging infectious threats. Medical countermeasure (MCM) strategies against broader classes of biological agents will be pursued with emphasis on broad-spectrum protection based on mechanism of action. The manufacturing and formulation processes for platform technologies will be adapted to maximize flexibility, increase stability, shelf life, and expand storage conditions. Efforts will also be adapted to maximize delivery flexibility through modifying delivery routes, which will allow for dose and reagent sparing. Air Purification Enhancements: Optimizes and extends filter life and reduces lifecycle costs while maintaining or enhancing protection against all chemical weapons agents and toxic industrial chemicals/materials. Improves integration of collective protection into developmental Service major combat platforms. Investigates existing filtration performance against emerging and non-traditional threats and identify and develop countermeasures. Efforts include additional investments in enhanced biodefense and pandemic preparedness. All Hazards and Respiratory Protection: Develops next generation general purpose mask that unencumbers the warfighter, integrates with existing system technology, and closes capability gaps in current technologies. Supports special purpose units (e.g., special operations, Civil Support Teams, Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and modernization efforts to insert new, scalable protection technologies into current respirator programs of record that protect against the full spectrum of threats for the full range of military operations. Develops next generation antimicrobial respiratory protection. Efforts include additional investments in enhanced biodefense and pandemic preparedness. Dynamic Multifunction Materials for Second Skin: Efforts support percutaneous protection and will utilize responsive technologies to provide chemical and biological protective suits that adapt to the environment by synthesizing scaled samples via roll-to-roll manufacture which exhibit materials properties that reduce thermal burden and integrate with current combat garments. These technologies include interpenetrating polymer networks that will change moisture permeability and molecular selectivity on demand, and membranes with higher moisture vapor transfer rates than existing fabrics. Enhanced Survivability Coatings: Addresses materiel surface ease of decontamination and resistance to chemical agent penetration. Develops durable temporary coatings that resist chemical agent absorption and are quickly decontaminated in the field and allow the rapid regeneration of combat power. Lightweight Protective Garments: Advances garment material and ensemble technologies with revolutionary capability improvements using integrated, low encumbrance garment designs and fabrication for thermal burden reduction. Incorporates state-of-the-art threat protection technologies and supporting test methodologies and methods that provide operationally relevant, comparable test data on garments. Improves testing methods for rapid, operationally-relevant, consistent garment performance evaluation. Develops next generation antimicrobial percutaneous protection to extend protective garment service life and reduce logistics and lifecycle costs. Efforts include additional investments in enhanced biodefense and pandemic preparedness. Multifunctional Materials for Protection: Supports Protection and Hazard Mitigation Core Capability Areas. Combines basic and applied research to discover, develop, engineer, and integrate novel, reactive/catalytic materials into next generation CB defense systems. Engineers and scales material manufacturing to maximize sorption, reactivity, and service life while unencumbering the warfighter. Characterizes materials using state-of-the-art ambient pressure spectroscopies for integration into next generation filters and protective garments that reactively decontaminate chemical warfare agents. Nerve Agent Prophylaxis/Pretreatments: Obtain the first prophylactic MCMs designed to prevent severe morbidity and mortality upon exposure to nerve agents without the need for additional individual physical protective equipment.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: PT3_0603384BP_3_0400_PB_2024

Tags

Readers

• Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
• Materials Science
• Military Science and Technology Research and Modernization.