U.S. Army orders more chemical detectors

EDGEWOOD, Md., April 23 (UPI) -- Additional portable chemical detectors are to be produced and delivered to the U.S. Army by Smiths Detection under a $20 million follow-on production order.

The contract comes under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Chemical Agent Detector program, or JCAD, which uses Smiths’ product line of lightweight chemical detectors.

“This order underscores the success of the LCD, which is used by weapon inspectors, civil responders and military forces worldwide,” said Tom Brown, Director of Business Development, Smiths Detection. “Equally so, the JCAD program has established itself as one of the most effective chemical warfare protection solutions for U.S. troops in history.”

Smiths Detection said it will supply its enhanced M4A1 JCADs to meet the contract. The units will be manufactured at its facility at Edgewood, Md., where the company also manufactures a variety of X-ray and chemical detection systems.

Information on the number of units to be produced and their delivery schedule was not provided.