In
the days following September 11, America’s awareness
of our vulnerability to acts of terrorism and weapons of mass
destruction has been dramatically heightened. President Bush’s
Homeland Security initiative is aimed at addressing these
insidious threats facing our country.
Today,
U.S. cities simply are neither prepared nor equipped to handle
a chemical or biological attack. The Department of Defense
is currently expanding its capabilities to mitigate and manage
the consequences of terrorist attacks on American soil. As
outlined in its 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review, the DoD is
enhancing its anti-terrorist and force protection programs
and increasing its investment in chemical and biological countermeasures.
To support state and local authorities, the DoD has established
Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams made up of
National Guard personnel and the Marine Corps’ Chemical/Biological
Incident Response Force, as well as implemented selected readiness
enhancements to the Army’s Reserve component.
Against this backdrop, many
of Engineered Supports’ products take on increasingly
crucial relevance and critical importance.
In the event of a chemical or
biological terrorist attack, defenders must be equipped to
survive and to handle casualties. Survival under these circumstances
requires individual and collective protection, decontamination
and safe drinking water. A number of our existing products
address these survival requirements.
The company’s Chemical
Biological Protected Shelter (CBPS) provides a contamination-free,
environmentally controlled emergency work area for use as
a mobile medical aid facility. Connected to and carried by
a Humvee – the military’s multi-purpose vehicle
platform – this rapidly deployable, self-contained system
can be fully operational in less than 20 minutes.
Adaptable to chemically and
Biologically contaminated areas, the Field Deployable Environmental
Control Unit (FDECU) is a heat pump that cools, heats,
dehumidifies, filters |
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and
provides clean air for portable shelters, tents and vans.
The Chemically Hardened
Air Management Plant (CHAMP) provides conditioned, filtered
and contamination-free air under any worldwide climate or
chemical/biological threat conditions. This unit operates
using either commercial power or its own self-contained, diesel-driven
generator set. It can be used to “harden” shelters
or facilities such as gymnasiums, large shelters or hospital
systems from external contaminants.
The Army Space Heater (ASH)
is a rugged heater capable of providing temperature controlled
heating for personnel and equipment in shelters, vans and
other enclosed areas. The unit, through a kit installation,
can also provide clean, filtered air for shelters located
in contaminated areas. Requiring limited operational maintenance,
it can operate under a wide range of environ mental conditions
from -65 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The units are currently
in use in Afghanistan by U.S. troops.
The M-17 Lightweight Decontamination
System is a man portable, multi-purpose system used for
the decontamina-tion of military equipment and personnel.
Rugged and reliable, the system is simple to operate, virtually
maintenance free and uses any water source.
The 3000 GPH Reverse Osmosis
Water Purification Unit (ROWPU) purifies salt or brackish
water into drinkable water at a rate of 3,000 gallons per
hour. Powered by a portable generator system or by commercial
power, the containerized mobile system requires minimum maintenance
or operator attention even under adverse weather conditions.
The units can also purify chemically or biologically contaminated
water.
As our nation’s Homeland
Security initiative is further defined and developed, Engineered
Support has the proven expertise and equipment to make a major
contribution. Our people stand ready and responsive to provide
the products relevant to these ongoing threats to America’s
safety and security. |
