US army agreement on Field Deployable Hydrolysis System

The Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS) is a transportable, high throughput neutralization system designed to convert chemical warfare materiel into compounds not usable as weapons. The U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), in partnership with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), signed a technology transfer agreement with the Joint Program Executive Office-Chemical Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD) on June 27, 2013 at the Edgewood Area of the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. The official transition took place upon completion of an FDHS operational demonstration for DoD stakeholders, and signified a transition for advanced development and future integration into the Chemical Biological Defense Program Portfolio.

The FDHS is designed for worldwide deployment with operational capability within 10 days of arriving on site location. A 20-week design and development phase was funded by DTRA in February 2013 and ECBC subject matter experts led the effort to construct a functional FDHS prototype with partnering organization, the Chemical Materials Activity. More than 50 ECBC employees accounted for 13,000 hours of work in order to meet the objective to produce an operational model in six months that could be transitioned from technology development into an advanced development program.

ECBC’s life cycle capabilities enabled the Chemical-Biological defense community to maintain pace with the emerging requirements of the operational environment. The Center’s rapid prototyping capabilities and field operational experience were vital to the design and functionality of the FDHS. Engineers and technicians discussed various design plans and 3D models, and screened and analyzed commercially available technologies throughout the process. ECBC’s technical expertise was combined with CMA’s experience in building and operating chemical agent neutralization facilities that have safely and successfully completed their chemical agent disposal missions.
 

Find complete text on: www.ecbc.army.mil/cbarr/newsletter/2013/CBARR_August2013.pdf