US Army receives first three CBPS systems from Smiths Detection

Smiths Detection has handed over the initial three M8E1 Chemical Biological Protective Shelters (CBPS) under contract to the US Army.

The delivery forms part of a $40m contract awarded by the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD) for supply of 111 systems in the next two years.

Smiths Detection vice president Bob Bohn said, ”These CBPS units offer the US Army a critical dual-use capability — a highly mobile, protected environment for soldiers operating under threat of chemical and biological agents or the harsh conditions of a natural disaster response.”

Featuring a 400ft2 available work space, the M8E1CBPS is a highly mobile, self-contained collective protection system designed to provide military surgeons with a chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) protected toxic free area (FTA) for treatment of wounded personnel without having to wear protective clothing/equipment.

Manufactured at the company’s facility in Edgewood, Maryland, US, the system possesses expanded onboard capacity for medical support equipment, and can support treatment of up to 15 patients in one hour with greater comfort even under extreme conditions.

Integrated onto an armoured medium tactical vehicle (MTV), the system features primary and backup power generators, digital touch-screen-operated control system and an armour equipped M1085A1R2 prime mover to provide crew protection during mobile/convoy operations.

CBPS is widely used by the army trauma treatment teams/squads of manoeuvre battalions, non-divisional medical treatment teams/squads, medical companies of forward and division support battalions and division and corps, as well as the forward surgical teams.

Besides military specifications, the system also has dual-use medical capability for homeland defence to support treatments following a natural disaster.