Chemical warfare and radioactive decontamination system chosen by Army from DRS Environmental Systems

The U.S. Army needed small, portable chemical warfare and radioactive decontamination systems that are transportable off-road and over virtually any terrain for use near combat operations. They found their solution from DRS Technologies Environmental Systems segment in Florence, Ky.

The Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Natick Contracting Division in Natick, Mass., awarded a $32.4 million order to DRS Thursday to provide the Joint Service Transportable Decontamination Systems, Small Scale (JSTDS-SS) to decontaminate non-sensitive military materiel and facilities exposed to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) warfare agents or toxic industrial materials. The JSTDS-SS will replace the Army's M17 lightweight decontamination system.

The JSTDS-SS uses water from any source, is operated by one person, and is easier to use and more reliable than the M17, DRS officials say. The order is part of a five-year $84 million contract from the Army Chemical & Biological Defense Joint Program Executive Office in Falls Church, Va.