Chemical and Biological Defense Program

The Chemical and Biological Defense Program focuses on providing an integrated, layered capability to combat weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) missions. The program's investments support sustainment and modernization of laboratory infrastructure, test capabilities, studies and analyses, joint doctrine and training, and program and financial management support. Specifically, the Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB) project provides technical and operational capability for proving Department of Defense (DoD) Chemical and Biological (CB) and Non-Traditional Agent (NTA) defense materiel, equipment, and systems from concept through production. Additionally, the Laboratory Support project aims to maintain and enhance DoD infrastructure capabilities to counter an expanding threat space, exploit advances in technology, and develop and transition CB defense equipment and countermeasures to the Warfighter.

The Management Support project provides resources for the DoD Chemical Biological Defense Program (CBDP) to allow program overview and integration of overall medical and non-medical programs by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs (ASD(NCB)). This includes supporting the sustainment of existing chemical test instrumentation and equipment at West Desert Test Center necessary for chemical laboratories, chemical/biological field and simulant chamber operations. The program also funds civilian pay for maintaining MRTFB test and evaluation (T&E) mission readiness at Bio Testing Division for biological surety laboratory operations, bio-safety risk management, defensive T&E mission support activities. Overall, these projects aim to accelerate characterization and situational awareness of emerging biothreats while delivering improved protection from and mitigation of biothreats.