By Hans-Joachim Toepfer, Product Manager, NBC Protection Systems, Karcher Futuretech GmbH
SubscribeThe current and future conditions of international missions of the NATO armed forces require completely adequate highly-effective military equipment for the protection of the deployed troops.
The health protection and guarantee of the survival of the deployed soldiers under all mission conditions are incontrovertible criteria for the development and introduction of new military systems. This especially applies to the respective NBC defence equipment needed to meet the current and future NBC threat.
NBC Decontamination Equipment
NBC decontamination still presents a big challenge and a very complex task for the concerned troops. It has to be carried out quickly and efficiently and requires a high degree of professionalism with respect to organisation, effective equipment, specialised personnel and training.
Against this background, the Federal German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) pursued the procurement of the highly mobile compact TEP 90 decontamination system on a long-term basis. With regard to conception, the TEP 90 was designed from the beginning to meet the requirements of this new international mission spectrum of the armed forces. Due to the specific advantages of the used decontamination technologies and new highly effective decontamination agents, Kärcher, which is based in Winnenden, Germany, was able to create such a compact high-performance decontamination system. The first TEP 90 system was delivered to the Federal German Armed Forces in 2004, and subsequently tried and examined in the framework of a comprehensive practical test reflecting all the expected cases of operation after an attack involving NBC warfare agents or the release of toxic industrial matter. The obtained results and findings were taken as the basis for the optimisation of the specifications of the serial carrier vehicle and decontamination equipment.
In July 2006, the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) placed the order for the serial production of a total of 73 systems to Kärcher Futuretech GmbH (decontamination system) and IVECO Magirus AG (carrier vehicle with protected cab). In the meantime, the first complete serial TEP 90 decontamination systems have been delivered to the Federal German Armed Forces.
The TEP 90 decontamination system is highly mobile, rapidly deployable and includes all components needed for the mission-optimised carrying out of thorough decontamination close to the contaminated troop. The vehicle cab has a special protection which efficiently protects the personnel against shots and mines.
The TEP 90 was designed and constructed for transport by road, rail, air and sea. A mobile vehicle highly suitable for cross-country with all-wheel drive serves as means of transport which makes the employment of the system off-road possible under all weather conditions.
TEP 90 Decontamination System
The container-based TEP 90 decontamination system has a consequent modular structure, i.e. it consists of decontamination modules which can be used independently and include all components necessary for the mission-optimised carrying out of thorough decontamination close to the contaminated troop. The system ensures the following main functions:
- decontamination of persons
- decontamination of personal NBC protective clothing and personal equipment
- decontamination of sensitive equipment
- decontamination of large vehicles
- decontamination of aircraft
- decontamination of the interior rooms of vehicles and aircraft
- decontamination of supply items and packaging receptacles
- decontamination of limited road sections, plants and installations (infrastructure)
- measures against infection and vermin destruction
In addition, the decontamination system is able to support auxiliary tasks such as measures in the area of hygiene, fire-fighting and transport of water.
In addition, the TEP 90 decontamination system is also suitable for measures after missions and before returning to the home country, also in the form of epidemic control/prophylaxis and vermin destruction during ‘out of area’ operations. The tasks to be carried out depend decisively on the mission region and the prevailing conditions with regard to protection against infections.
The TEP 90 decontamination system uses state-of-the-art decontamination technologies and decontamination agents. The TEP 90 is designed so that it can be operated in a temperature range of -30 °C to +49 °C in the climatic zones determined in STANAG 2895 without any restriction. To achieve the wished decontamination result especially under winter conditions, it is absolutely necessary to apply NBC decontamination agents which are suitable for this temperature range (RDS 2000, BDS 2000, GDS 2000).
The construction and design of the complete system and decontamination stations foreseen for the different decontamination tasks allow the conceptually correct carrying out of thorough decontamination taking the valid principles into account. Set-up and operation of the TEP 90 or its individual stations can be ensured and a spread of contamination to the “clean” area be avoided when the “unclean” and “clean” areas are strictly separated and the direction of the wind is taken into consideration. The material flow in the individual decontamination stations is directed clearly from the “unclean“ to the “clean“ area and thus ensures the minimisation of the health risk of the decontamination personnel and the troop to be decontaminated on the decontamination site.
The vehicle is equipped with an integrated hydraulic crane system to make the system ready for operation in time without using any lifting equipment, to ensure the independent operation of the complete system and individual modules, and to meet the functional requirements during operation. For the decontamination of large vehicles, decontamination module 1 remains on the carrier vehicle. A crane basket is mounted to the crane arm by means of a quick coupling system. From this basket, all kinds of vehicles can also be decontaminated efficiently from above. For this, the operator working in the basket can move himself quickly, safely and easily to the necessary working position using the remote control system of the crane. This way, large vehicles, aeroplanes, plants and installations with a height of much more than 10 metres can be easily accessed and decontaminated without any additional scaffolding, etc. As is known, this is not possible with the decontamination systems used up to now. Especially the air force will surely appreciate the advantages of this system for the decontamination of aircraft.
Detoxification of Sensitive Optical and Electronic Equipment
Decontamination module 2 accommodates the vacuum decontamination device for the detoxification of sensitive optical and electronic equipment, etc., which cannot be treated with humidity or aggressive decontamination agents, with the help of a vacuum at a suitable temperature. The vacuum decontamination device is equipped with an appropriate extension module for carrying out special tasks in the field of B decontamination. The BC decontamination of personal equipment and personal NBC protective clothing is carried out in a special hot gas/hot steam chamber. The relevant procedural parameters are based on tests carried out by the experts of the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and NBC Protection (WIS) in Munster for many years. Further equipment can be decontaminated in a wet chemical process on a special fold-down decontamination platform.
Decontamination module 3 is used for the decontamination of persons and, in addition to the shower section, includes a special thermo-electrical energy module, a water tank, an air-conditioning unit and an inflatable tent for undressing and dressing to ensure a proper decontamination process. If necessary, this decontamination module can also be used independently for carrying out measures in the area of hygiene.
Decontamination of Battle Tanks, Vehicle Cabs, Helicopters and Transport Aeroplanes
The Decon Shuttle (decontamination module 4) is used independently for the decontamination of the interior rooms of battle tanks, vehicle cabs, helicopters, transport aeroplanes, etc. Using the highly efficient spray extraction method, the liquid decontamination agents applied on the surface to be decontaminated are removed (sucked off) together with the contaminants immediately after application with practically no residues, and are then transported to the tank for decontamination waste products, which is integrated in the Decon Shuttle. The operating spectrum of the Decon Shuttle can be extended by the employment of a thermal aerosol generator for the B decontamination of interiors. The relevant legal provisions should be observed. The aerosol generator can also be used for tasks in the area of vermin destruction or vector management.
Due to the enormously increased environmental awareness for decades there has been an urgent need for environmentally compatible decontamination agents. Compatibility with the environment is lastly also an essential prerequisite for the use of decontamination technologies and agents in peace-time in the case of hazards involving highly toxic / hazardous materials, nuclear accidents, epidemics, etc.
In this framework, Kärcher developed a complete family of highly effective rapid-action agents for the removal of radioactive contamination, inactivation of relevant pathogenic micro-organisms and detoxification of highly toxic chemical warfare agents while at the same time ensuring a sufficient level of storage stability, agent handling safety, good compatibility with the material to be decontaminated, and a minimised impact on the environment. The new decontamination agents clearly represent the state of the art in the area of NBC decontamination, are biologically degradable and suitable for application even under harsh winter conditions.
The RDS 2000 radioactive decontamination agent was developed together with the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and NBC Protection (WIS) as part of a cooperation project. After application of the agent in the form of aqueous foam and after the respective period of time needed for the decontamination agent to become active, it is rinsed off together with the radioactive contaminants by means of a high-pressure water jet. The high efficiency of RDS 2000 in radioactive decontamination is a result of the specific combination of an aqueous surfactant solution system with appropriate complexing agents, oxidants or other auxiliary substances.
The BDS 2000 biological decontaminant system is based on a special thermally stable peracetic acid and is applied in the form of an aqueous foam for the decontamination of biologically contaminated surfaces, or the active peracetic acid component is distributed with the help of a thermal aerosol generator for the biological decontamination of compartment air (interior rooms). Peracetic acid is the only active agent which does not show any gap against any kind of microbial pathogens. Studies, which were carried out in independent test institutes, confirm the distinct biological decontamination effect of the BDS 2000 system and its efficiency against anthrax and the highly pathogenic A-type bird flu viruses even at temperatures up to -30 °C.
The non-aqueous GDS 2000 decontamination agent is intended for the quick and effective detoxification of all known chemical warfare agents (including thickened chemical warfare agents) on surfaces of defence material (particularly armoured or non-armoured vehicles as well as other military equipment). GDS 2000 is manufactured and packaged industrially and available ready for use. In the original packaging and in accordance with the stipulated storage conditions, it can be stored for more than 10 years.
Summary
From a technical point of view, the TEP 90 represents the state of the art in this specific area because it uses the most modern decontamination methods and agents. The international NATO missions show that the armed forces need special highly mobile air-transportable decontamination systems which can be used flexibly. The modular containerised TEP 90 decontamination system is such a system.
The delivery of the first TEP 90 systems to the NBC defence troop of the Federal German Armed Forces represents a new chapter within qualified NBC decontamination. The implementation of the project for the procurement of 73 TEP 90 systems does not only mean that an important demand and skills gap will be filled by 2010. The systems will also set the standard for highly mobile compact full-decontamination systems for many years.
