Can’t do that anymore
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BAE Systems received a contract worth up to $20 million to support the US Air Force global monitoring for nuclear treaty compliance. The company will provide engineering, research, and program management services for the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida.

AFTAC operates and maintains a global network of nuclear explosion detection sensors called the US Atomic Energy Detection System (USAEDS). Once the USAEDS senses a disturbance underground, underwater, in the atmosphere or in space, the event is analyzed for nuclear identification and findings are reported to national command authorities through USAF headquarters.

AFTAC monitors compliance with the following nuclear testing treaties:

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DURO NBC Lab
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General Dynamics European Land Systems subsidiary MOWAG GmbH recently received a CHF 260 million (EUR 160M, $190M) order from the Swiss Armasuisse procurement agency. The firm will deliver 220 GMTF protected patrol vehicles based on the DURO-IIIP truck, and 12 DURO IIIP “NBC Laboratory Vehicles” that can identify radioactive materials, biological and chemical warfare agents, and toxic industrial chemicals. The 3rd component of this order involves the development of 12 Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles, which will be based on the Piranha-IIIC/LAV-III 8×8 wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC). These 3 three projects were approved in the 2008 Swiss armament procurement program, and they will be delivered to the Swiss Army between 2010 and 2012.

DURO trucks are fairly popular as medium transport vehicles, and also form the basis of MOWAG’s new Eagle IV up-armored 4×4 jeep. GMTF is a protected patrol vehicle based on the IIIP 6×6 multipurpose truck, adding medium armor protection while maintaining space for up to 11 soldiers. The GMTF will supplement true APCs like the PIRANHA II 8×8 Radschutzenpanzer 93 (LAV-II) and BAE Hagglunds’ tracked “Schutzenpanzer 2000” (CV90), which are already in use with the Swiss Army.

MOWAG will supply all 3 vehicle types; but the DURO IIP NBC Lab vehicles’ equipment will be integrated by Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH of Kassel, Germany, and the Piranha IIIC 8×8 NBC Reconnaissance Vehicles are the overal responsibility of Thales Suisse (SA) of Zurich. GD MOWAG release.

X-ray vs. ZB
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American Science and Engineering’s Z Backscatter Van™ (ZBV) is a low-cost, extremely maneuverable screening system built into a commercially available delivery van. The ZBV employs AS&E’s patented Z Backscatter technology, which reveals contraband that transmission X-rays miss – such as explosives (including car bombs), plastic weapons, and people – providing photo-like imaging for rapid analysis.

The Z-Backscatter Van is also capable of identifying low levels of radioactivity from both gamma rays and neutrons with optional Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD) technology. This article explains how it works, and provides an illustrative slice of coverage regarding contracts and key events from FY 2005 to the end of FY 2008. The latest set of additions wraps up DID’s coverage…

• The Technology
• Contracts & Key Events, FY 2005-2008
• Additional Readings
  
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M93 Fox
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General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. in Sterling Heights, MI received a $56.5 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract to upgrade 18 Fox Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance System (NBC-RS) Vehicles from M93 (14) and M93A1 (4) Configurations to M93A1P1. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, MI; Anniston, AL; Lima, OH; and Germany and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2009. This was a sole source contract initiated on April 24, 2007 by the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (DAAM01-96-C-0028). General Dynamics release.

The amphibious Fox (Fuchs) vehicle is actually a German design, first fielded in 1979 by a firm that became part of Rheinmetall Landsysteme. The NBC-RS variant, or Spurfuchs in German, has become popular with a number of countries, and is in service with the US Army and Marines. The wedge-shaped cover over the rear door is a key identifier, and all M93 NBS-RS variants have an over-pressure filtration system that permits the crew to operate in a fully protected environment.

Fox in Husseiniyah
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The upgraded M93A1 reduces the crew complement from 4 to 3, and contains an enhanced NBC sensor suite consisting of the M21 Remote Sensing Chemical Agent Alarm (RSCAAL), MM1 Mobile Mass Spectrometer, Chemical Agent Monitor/Improved Chemical Agent Monitor (CAM/ICAM), AN/VDR-2 Beta Radiac, and M22 Automatic Chemical Agent Detector/Alarm (ACADA). The NBC sensor suite has been digitally linked with the communications and navigation subsystems by a dual-purpose central processor system known as the Multipurpose Integrated Chemical Agent Detector (MICAD), which fully automates NBC warning and reporting to other units and integrates with the vehicles Global Positioning System [GPS] and Autonomous Navigation System. The M93A1P1 is the most up-to-date configuration and features a survivability improvement package that includes slat armor, improved protection against land mines, and firepower improvements via the CROWS remote-controlled weapon station.

New York and San Francisco have begun using the IAC 1090 Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System (iABS) developed by Intelligent Automation Corporation (IAC) of Poway, CA to protect public drinking water from contamination and potential terrorism incidents. The system is also being used by the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick, MD, a development partner for the system along with the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research (USACEHR), The US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Defense Legacy Program. The key to this whole system? Well, a neural network processor, and… fish.

Bluegill sunfish, to be precise (for Europeans: similar to Bream).

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Akamai Physics Inc. in Las Cruces, NM received a $10.3 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification for Bright Onyx. This is a compact, active multi-spectral chemical sensor operating in the 5-micrometer region; it enables the remote chemical detection of chemicals associated with weapons of mass destruction that may be transported on ships inbound to United States ports. The Bright Onyx sensor must operate at UAV airspeeds and ranges with detection sensitivities of 10 ppm*m and meet UAV power, weight, and size requirements. Solicitations began March 2006, negotiations were complete June 2006, and work will be complete June 2008. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FS8650-04-C-1714/P00004).

UAVs are becoming increasingly popular for WMD-related detection missions, in additional to their ‘traditional’ roles in battlefield reconnaissance and light precision attack. Last Thursday, for example, DID covered a separate $8.2 million contract aimed at modifying Boeing’s ScanEagle UAV to detect biological agents.

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ScanEagle BCAS
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Boeing Phantom Works and a team of U.S. bio-defense companies have been given a two-year $8.2 million Phase I contract to modify the Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to look for biological warfare agents as part of a program funded by the USA’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Under the Biological Combat Assessment System (BCAS) Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) program, the DTRA and the Boeing-led team will work with U.S. Pacific Command and the U.S. Navy Third Fleet to design and develop a remote sensor system that can assess battle damage and collateral effects, and also locate, track, collect and detect simulated biological warfare agents in a designated area.

The team will integrate the sensor system into the Boeing-Insitu ScanEagle UAV and then will demonstrate the system’s capabilities in flight tests. Successful flight tests will lead to a possible Phase 2 follow-on contract and limited production options with the DTRA worth approximately $15 million.

This is the first time Boeing has served as a lead systems integrator on a program directed solely toward chemical and biological defense, so they’re drawing on scientists and engineers from across the company and industry. Industry team members include the Midwest Research Institute, Applied Research Associates and Steris. Internal Boeing participants, meanwhile, will be drawn from Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the Advanced Systems group of Integrated Defense Systems, and the Engineering & Information Technology and Advanced Homeland Security groups within Boeing’s Phantom Works unit for advanced R&D. See Boeing’s June 2006 release | The Bright Onyx sensor contract | Boeing’s March 2008 release.

Alaskan-headquartered Alutiiq Global Solutions LLC in Hanahan, SC has received $92 million in contracts for technical services in support of Electronic Security System projects and programs. Program security requirements encompass numerous facilities; vary in scope, magnitude and complexity and will range from modification/additions to existing security systems, to large-scale integrated base-wide or facility-wide systems. These systems/subsystems include:

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Northrop Grumman IT has been awarded a indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a potential value of approximately $375 million over four years, in order to provide a range of scientific and technical advisory and assistance services to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA, also known by some as Nunn-Lugar) that will support DTRA’s mission to reduce the threat from weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

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M93 Fox

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) in Sterling Heights, MI received a $19 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract to make the M93 Fox Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaissance Systems deployed to Iraq more survivable. The Fox is in service in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. It detects chemical contamination in its immediate environment through point detection and at a distance of up to three miles with a stand-off detector.

GDLS’ corporate release notes that the improvement package includes slat armor, armor protection against land mines, accommodations for the CROWS remotely operated machine gun, and heavy-duty axles for 17 Fox vehicles and four spares deployed in theater. The vehicles’ swim capability will be deactivated to accommodate these improvements. Work on this contract will be performed in Anniston, AL (90%), and Camp Anaconda, Iraq (10%), and is expected to be complete by Sept. 29, 2006 under contract DAAM01-96-C-0028. This was a sole source contract initiated on Aug. 31, 1995 by the Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

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