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Hamilton Sundstrand to Produce Chemical and Biological Agent Detector

POMONA, USA- North America, California, Dec 22, 2002

Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems, a business unit of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX), announced today that it has received a production contract from the U.S. Army to deliver a newly developed chemical and biological weapon detector called the Chemical Biological Mass Spectrometer Block II (CBMS II).

The CBMS II units will be fielded on the Joint Services Light Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance System managed by the U.S. Marine Corps, and the Stryker Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle, a U.S. Army program.

Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems in Pomona and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn., have developed the CBMS II under contract to the U.S. Army Soldier Biological and Chemical Command at Edgewood, Maryland. The initial production contract is for the delivery of up to 31 CBMS II units. The reconnaissance vehicle programs plan future full-scale production of several hundred units to outfit the full complement of military reconnaissance vehicles.

According to Mike Linsenbigler, general manager of Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems, the CBMS Block II is a compact, lightweight and rugged system capable of concurrent chemical and biological agent detection and identification. The system is designed to identify all significant chemical agents in either liquid or vapor state in less than 30 seconds and biological agents in less than four minutes.

“Its ion-trap configuration allows tandem mass spectrometric analysis of samples, which provides detection and identification even in areas of high background such as a battlefield,” Linsenbigler said. The system is designed to meet the vibration, temperature, and nuclear ruggedness requirements of military reconnaissance systems, he added.

The CBMS Block II is easily maintainable and is considered a “dry” system in that it uses a minimum amount of consumables. “This is a unique advantage over other biological-weapon detection technologies, which require the use of expensive reagents for each analysis,” Linsenbigler said.

Hamilton Sundstrand is also developing and has demonstrated a prototype commercial version of the CBMS II, called the Chemical Biological Detection System (CBDS), optimized for application to Homeland Security requirements such as building and infrastructure protection and anthrax detection in mail. In U.S. Postal Service testing, the CBDS has demonstrated the capability to detect minute amounts of anthrax simulants in sealed envelopes on mail sorting lines. The CBDS is designed to operate on a 24/7 basis, providing continuous sampling, detection and identification of biological agents within as little as two minutes, and of chemical agents within 30 seconds.

The CBDS applies the proven pyrolysis and mass spectrometer technologies of the military version but employs improved sampling capability and design approaches from Hamilton Sundstrand’s commercial instrument product line. “Most importantly,” Linsenbigler explained, “the CBDS maintains the ‘dry chemistry’ approach that requires no expensive liquid reagents and minimal logistics, making it a very affordable system to operate where dependable chemical and biological agent detection and identification is required.”

“Hamilton Sundstrand has invested heavily in bringing chemical and biological agent detection technology to fill the need for civil and commercial infrastructure protection that became so evident following the 9/11 terrorist acts,” Linsenbigler said. “This product has a unique capability to detect and identify a chemical or biological release for protection of personnel in buildings, subways and other infrastructure facilities.”

Hamilton Sundstrand, a United Technologies subsidiary, is headquartered in Windsor Locks, Conn. Among the world’s largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace, defense and industrial products, the company designs, manufactures and services aerospace systems and provides integrated systems solutions for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft. It is also a major supplier for international space programs.

Contact:
Peg Hashem (Conn.)
860-654-3469