CALS training initiative deemed successful

Applied science and technology development company Battelle has deemed the recent three-week testing of its Common Analytical Laboratory System (CALS) with users a success.

CALS, described as three variants of mobile laboratories providing on-site analytical capabilities to any incident location, is being developed to meet the needs of the Department of Defense’s military branches. All branches currently have different equipment, analytical protocols, and training regimens when responding to threat incidences involving chemical, biological or radiological threats.

Units were set up at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) in Aberdeen, Md., providing first-time end-users with detailed, hands-on experience with the new system. Part of the challenge including integrating laboratory analytical equipment into a mobile, truck-mounted laboratory safely and reliably while balancing different aspects of utility, space, and weight.

“We are proud to reach this important milestone alongside the Joint Product Manager CBRNE Analytics and Response Systems team,” Rodney Black, deputy program manager for the project, said. “It’s a fairly complex challenge to meet the individual mission needs of the end-users for each of the CALS variants. But, we were able to bring our long and deep history of using technology to solve complex challenges involving chemical and biological threats.”

The next step in the process will be a government-led Battelle-supported field test to evaluate operational suitability with the military members who will use the system.