The contract was awarded to the Company's Engineered Air Systems, Inc. (EASI) subsidiary, located in St. Louis, by the U.S. Army Tank-automotive & Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill. (TACOM-RI).
The contract includes design finalization, prototype testing, revised engineering drawings, technical manuals and the low rate production of 26 new CBPS units.
EASI will be assisted on this project by its subcontractor, Solectria Corporation, based in Woburn, Mass., who has been working under an existing contract with the U.S. Army's Research, Development & Engineering Command (RDECOM), Natick, Mass., to develop two prototype self-powered environmental support systems and associated control panels for the CBPS, according to Jerry Daniels, Vice Chairman and CEO of Engineered Support.
CBPS, designed for use in chemically or biologically contaminated areas, is a self-contained, environmentally-controlled and contamination-free work area that can serve as a mobile medical aid station, field command post or emergency facility.
The CBPS can be deployed and fully operational in less than 20 minutes, which is a critical characteristic since high mobility is a key feature of this shelter system. The Company has produced over 150 CBPS units to date with current production occurring at its facility in West Plains, Missouri. CBPS units were deployed extensively during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
The new CBPS will be self-powered, no longer reliant upon the High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) as its primary source for power.
Technological and operational advantages of the new design include the elimination of hydraulic components of the power system, a reduction in noise when deployed in a tactical environment, additional space for medical or other support equipment, improved fuel savings for the HMMWV, digital rather than analog controls, and the potential to utilize other vehicle or weapons platforms to transport the system.
Daniels commented, "We are very excited to continue work on the development of the next generation CBPS alongside TACOM-Rock Island and our subcontractor partner, Solectria. Over the past few years, we have fielded more than 150 HUMVEE-based CBPS units for the Army which have performed admirably in combat situations."
"We will continue to produce the current version of the CBPS for the foreseeable future while we are developing the new pod-configured variant. Threats from the use of chemical or biological agents in warfare are still quite real, and we take our role in protecting U.S. soldiers on the battlefield very seriously."