Chemical and Biological Defense Program

Chemical and Biological Defense Program focuses on applied research across the Understand, Protect, and Mitigate portfolios to combat weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) missions. The program aims to provide an integrated, layered capability for combating CWMD missions, ranging from combat operations to Department of Defense support for domestic incident prevention and response. It supports applied research in physical technologies, non-traditional agent medical and physical defense technologies, and medical technologies. The specific objectives include accelerating characterization and situational awareness of emerging biothreats, delivering improved protection from and mitigation of biothreats, including rapid repurposing of available therapeutics and development of new vaccines.

The Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) RDT&E Projects under PE 0602384BP are carried out by various agencies such as the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD), among others. The program aims to maintain strategic partnerships with the DoD Service communities and the interagency for mission success through collaborative planning and programming while ensuring budget assurance. Efforts under this program will transition to or provide risk reduction for Advanced Technology Development, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes, and System Development and Demonstration activities. The specific goals include developing next-generation chemical and biological hazard detectors, point-of-need diagnostic devices, next-generation diagnostics systems, decision support tools, algorithms, software, antidotes, disease surveillance medical technologies, vaccines, nerve agent pretreatments, respiratory and ocular protection, improvement of CB defense material including contamination avoidance and decontamination, development of drug treatments, therapeutics, patient decontamination technologies, individual protection advancements, among others.