Jane Edwards
The Defense Department has given Battelle and an Astrotech subsidiary the go-ahead to develop the final prototype of a chemical detection tool as part of the third phase of DoD’s Next Generation Chemical Detector Multi-Sample Identifier Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction Program.
DoD awarded a phase 3 contract to the team of Astrotech’s 1st Detect and Battelle after the companies jointly completed the development of a brassboard for the detection platform under the program’s second phase, Astrotech said Tuesday.
Under Phase 3, 1st Detect will integrate its OEM-1000NG core analyzer systems that work to detect complex compounds with Battelle’s NGCD prototype.
Astrotech CEO Thomas Pickens said the Battelle-1st Detect team will subject the NGCD platform to additional tests to evaluate its performance in different military environments.
Pickens noted that he expects the partnership to advance the NGCD tool, which is designed for use in post-event reconnaissance and surveillance missions, to the engineering and manufacturing development phase.
Battelle serves as the prime contractor on the NGCD program of the Pentagon’s joint program executive office for chemical and biological defense.
