A government contract, worth £88 million, has been placed with UK company Smiths Detection to develop chemical sensing equipment to protect UK Armed Forces.

The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) say the sensor technology will have the capability to detect and monitor the presence of toxic industrial chemicals, including chemical warfare agents.

The government describes it a first of its kind for UK Armed Forces, as the wearable sensors will be able to detect multiple chemical threats from both vapours and aerosol.

Three sensors
Specifically, under the contract – won by the UK MOD’s procurement arm Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) – Smiths will develop three ‘next-generation’ chemical sensor products for the MOD, which are to be operational by 2028.

The first of the sensors is a wearable personal chemical agent sensor, to continually monitor the environment around the user. Secondly, a “survey chemical agent sensor”, will be a portable device to check potentially hazardous areas or surfaces. And finally, a “remote capable” chemical sensor, for use in fixed locations, is the third.

Capability
UK gov commissions chemical detection sensors for Armed ForcesSensing chemical threats is a fundamental part of the UK’s Counter-Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear capability, highlights DSTL.

“It’s vital we protect our Service Personnel, and this cutting-edge technology is so important to reduce the threat posed by toxic chemicals across a range of environments globally,” said the Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge.

“Not only is it an impressive piece of equipment that will be designed and manufactured here in the UK, but the ability for it to be continually developed and improved is exactly how we want Defence procurement to be – deliverable, effective and ambitious.”

Note, pictured above is a portable chemical detector currently in use by UK Armed Forces.