CWMD TECHNOLOGIES AND CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT

Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Technologies and Capabilities Development encompasses the following areas: Defeat Technologies supports Combatant Commands through research, development, and transition of offensive weapons and other capabilities to counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) while mitigating collateral contamination effects. Technology development focuses on the physical or functional defeat of WMD threat materials, an adversary's ability to deliver the same, and the physical and nonphysical support networks enabling both. It does so through the systematic identification and maturation of technologies capable of defeating WMD agents or agent-based processes and selecting technologies for integration into weapons, delivery systems, or rapid WMD elimination capabilities. This effort includes developing specific WMD agent/agent-based process simulants, sub-scale test infrastructure, and sampling capability required for effective development, testing, and evaluation of next-generation CWMD capabilities. The project places a high priority on understanding, characterizing, and validating potential weapon effects within mathematical confidence as it relates to the unintended release of hazardous threat materials. Energetics research develops materials and weapon design technology providing defeat capabilities for engaging hard and deeply buried targets that are beyond current high explosive blast/fragmentation warhead technology. Technologies with the potential for weapon and capability integration are transitioned to Budget Activity 3, Advanced Technology Development efforts. On a limited basis, technology test data is shared with coalition partners. WMD counterforce technologies research develops weapons effects modeling algorithms, full and sub-scale test series required to investigate CWMD weapon effects and sensor performance, and visualization and situational awareness tools to support the next generation Technical Reachback cell. These activities are critical enablers for the development of advanced CWMD planning tools. This effort couples long-range fundamental and applied research with technology development in the physical, life, and computational sciences to support kill chain activities in countering emerging WMD threats.