STO-Activities: (no title)
Activity title:
Surface and Ground Chemical Contamination Detection and Avoidance
Activity Reference:
SET-HFM-324
Panel:
SET
Security Classification:
NATO UNCLASSIFIED
Status:
Active
Activity type:
RTG
Start date:
2023-03-01T00:00:00Z
Actual End date:
2026-03-01T00:00:00Z
Keywords:
Hazard avoidance, SET, Standoff Detection, Surface contamination
Background:
The rapid detection and identification of chemical contamination, on ground and surfaces, is vital to the protection of the warfighters, as well as informing avoidance and mitigation strategies for the commanders. However, the ability to perform these actions in a standoff posture is still a challenge being addressed by S&T defense communities. There are a host of active and passive optical technologies that are being explored and developed, including but not exclusive to long wave infrared hyperspectral imaging and short wave infrared systems, Quantum cascade laser spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopic systems and thermal imaging cameras. These techniques and others, have advantages and challenges that need to be understood and assessed against a range of ground and surface based contamination scenarios, in order to provide greater awareness of the CBRNE threat environment in which the warfighters may find themselves.
Objectives:
The main focus of this Research Task Group (RTG) is to bring together detection experts in the defense community, to address the challenges associated with current sensor approaches in the area of standoff detection of deposited hazards, to enable chemical avoidance on contaminated surfaces. This will be accomplished in three main areas of focus:
1) Sensor Technology Understanding and Compilation
a. The group will identify and document current state of the art and emerging commercial and government sensor technologies; and determine commonality between participating Nations for the surface and ground contamination detection challenges. Three specific military relevant operation use cases will be addressed:
i. On-the-move Detection (route clearance, avoidance)
ii. Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE)
iii. Checkpoint/Screening for contamination on equipment/platforms/vehicles
The operational use cases will be used to guide discussions on: required sensor phenomenology performance characteristics, the associated challenges and desired detection demands.
2) Comparison of sensor technologies against the three operational use cases
a. Develop a common assessment protocol of sensors for baseline evaluation against a common set of threats for each operational use case:
i. Surfaces and chemicals associated with the different use cases will be incorporated in development of assessment protocols
ii. Evaluation metrics of sensor technologies addressing each operational use case will be examined.
b. Available technologies will be evaluated by participating nations through surface sample and analysis exchange, and potential visitation of labs in order to provide a comprehensive review of technology performances.
c. Information yielded through evaluations will be compiled in order to report technology options for each operational use case scenario.
3) Develop and implement minimally perform one Cooperative Demonstration of Technology (CDT) or joint laboratory exercises for surface and ground detection technologies
a. Internal (inside laboratory) and external (outdoor environment) will be targeted for data collection opportunities between the participating nations.
Topics:
The Topics to be covered in this RTG may include but are not limited to the following:
• Protocols, experience, views, and perspective concerning the development of detection technologies for deposited hazards on surfaces
• Best practices for testing and evaluation of chemical sensor technologies
• Military relevant operational use cases and associated chemical (including chemical warfare agents, explosives and pharmaceutical based agents) threat types
• Performance characteristics of sensor technologies associated with detection of deposited hazards on surfaces
• Time lines for Technology Readiness of current and emerging detection technologies
The above list is not exhaustive and as discussions and work commence we fully expect additional topics to be addressed along with considerations for data exchanges and experiments.
Contact:
Open2Partners:
Title:
Created at 25/10/2022 17:00 by System Account
Last modified at 16/05/2024 19:01 by System Account
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