Smiths Detection Inc. and Block MEMS, LLC (Block) will develop a Proximate Chemical Agent Detector (PCAD) capable of non-contact detection of solid and liquid threats for the US Department of Defense.
The non-contact chemical detection device will be able to identify/classify solid and liquid hazards, including Chemical Warfare Agents, Toxic Industrial Chemicals, Non-Traditional Agents, opioids, and explosives.
Block’s Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs), which will make up the core technology in the PCAD, have been developed over the past ten years with over $30 million in funding from the US government.
The PCAD program, with a total contract value over $38 million awarded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Defense, involves five phases of research and development over seven years and will be conducted between Smiths Detection’s US headquarters located in Edgewood, MD and Block headquarters in Southborough, MA.
“Our deep expertise and experience in research and development programs and our ability to deliver finished products, alongside Block’s leading technology, make us uniquely positioned to deliver the most advanced chemical detection technology to the US military helping them mitigate future threats,” said Inder Reddy, President of Smiths Detection Inc.
“We are pleased to be incorporating our next generation QCLs into PCAD to support our Armed Forces,” added Daniel J. Cavicchio, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Block. “The Block/Smiths Detection team provides all the skills and capabilities required to make this effort successful.”
