Chemical and Biological Defense Program - Dem/Val

Known as the Chemical and Biological Defense Program focuses on advancing component development and prototypes within the Understand, Protect, Mitigate, and Enabling Investments portfolios. The program aims to validate high-risk/high-payoff technologies and their respective concepts of operations to enhance Warfighter capabilities in preparation for the transition of mature technologies to advanced development programs requiring chemical and biological (CB) defense technologies. The program's specific objectives include accelerating characterization and situational awareness of emerging biothreats, delivering improved protection from and mitigation of biothreats, and developing rapid response capabilities to combat emerging threats. Additionally, the program supports efforts to evaluate integrated technologies or prototype systems in high fidelity and realistic operating environments.

The Understand (UN4) project within the Chemical and Biological Defense Program focuses on distinguishing between bacterial, viral, and toxin diagnostics, updating detector libraries for relevant detection and identification systems, integrating detection capabilities into Service combat platforms, and developing detection and diagnostic technologies compatible with Service networks. The Protect (PT4) project aims to deliver improved personal protection capabilities for warfighters against diverse threat agents developed by near-peer adversaries. This includes developing next-generation individual protective equipment and testing monoclonal antibody medical countermeasures through Phase 1 clinical trials. The Mitigate (MT4) project focuses on sustaining efforts in antiviral therapeutics, incorporating in silico and Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence technologies for drug discovery and development, developing robot decontamination platform systems, and completing prototype development for various tactical temporary coatings. Lastly, the Enabling Investments (EN4) project aims to evaluate integrated technologies or prototype systems in high fidelity operating environments to expedite technology transition from the laboratory to operational use and improve integration of collective protection into Service major combat platforms.