Office of the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense
Overview: In 1993, Congress passed Public Law 103-160, Section 1703, which created a Joint Service Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP). The mission of the CBDP is to provide world-class chemical and biological defense capabilities to allow the military forces of the United States to survive and successfully complete their operational missions — from peacetime contingency missions through two nearly simultaneous major theater wars across the entire spectrum of conflict—in battlespace environments contaminated with chemical or biological warfare agents. Under the oversight of a single office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense, the individual Services, working within the framework of a Joint Service Agreement, have planned and supported a robust, coordinated program. This overview document provides highlights of our major efforts within the program, providing a summary of FY00 accomplishments and goals for FY01 and beyond. A separate, more detailed DoD Annual Report to Congress on the Chemical and Biological Defense Program is provided to the Congress.
The CBDP focuses on the development and acquisition of an integrated system-of-systems to defend against the various chemical and biological warfare threats facing U.S. forces. No single technology or approach is likely to be effective. Consequently, detection and identification of CB threats, individual and collective protection, decontamination and medical countermeasures play important, complementary roles in countering chemical and biological threats.
Since Operation Desert Storm, the CBDP effectively developed and fielded new or improved capabilities that address shortfalls identified during that war. A few examples include the fielding of the Biological Integrated Detection System (BIDS), replacement of chemical alarms with the Automatic Chemical Agent Detector and Alarm (ACADA), and procurement of new, lightweight chemical protective suits for the entire force. Significant advances in research promise to yield continuous capability improvements over the next decade. These include: medical countermeasures against chemical and biological agents; improved, lightweight chemical detectors; advanced biological identification and diagnosis capabilities; improved decontamination capabilities; and advanced warning systems that provide near real-time hazard analysis and forecasting capabilities. Additionally, a Modeling and Simulation (M&S) commodity area was established to develop common use chemical and biological models and simulations. These capabilities will continue to ensure that U.S. forces are the best-equipped forces in the world to survive, fight, and win in a chemical or biological contaminated environment.
