Teledyne FLIR announced that it has won a contract to develop the first mass-wearable chemical detector for U.S. troops under the Pentagon’s Compact Vapor Chemical Agent Detector (CVCAD) program. The company received $4.0 million in initial funding. Under the Pentagon’s Compact Vapor Chemical Agent Detector (CVCAD) program, Teledyne FLIR will develop the first mass-worn chemical detector for U.S. armed forces. The innovative dual-sensor device will detect chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals, as well as flammable gases and enriched or depleted oxygen levels that may indicate an explosive atmosphere. The sensor will warn Soldiers and Marines of immediate danger, alerting them whether the air is safe to breath and if they can safely fire a weapon. Currently, troops lack the protection of an individually worn sensor. They rely on mostly larger devices and alarms that alert entire units of a local chemical hazard. The new, lightweight CVCAD sensor will provide the benefit of individual protection for every warfighter, particularly all U.S. Soldiers and Marines conducting ground operations. For CVCAD, Teledyne FLIR will produce a unique dual-sensor device that detects chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals, as well as flammable gases and enriched or depleted oxygen levels that may indicate an explosive atmosphere. The detector will warn Soldiers and Marines of immediate danger. It will determine whether the air is safe to breath and if troops can fire a weapon without concern for explosion, especially in confined spaces. The sensor also can be integrated on an unmanned aerial system for remote reconnaissance. CVCAD is a program of record funded and jointly managed by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA’s) Joint Science and Technology Office, and by the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological and Radiological/Nuclear Defense (JPEO CBRND). CVCAD is the fourth installment in the Next Generation Chemical Detector series of programs aimed at fielding a family of improved chemical detectors to U.S. Joint Services, as well as the third award Teledyne FLIR has received in the series. CVCAD is a Joint Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Program designed to rapidly mature prototype devices under DTRA guidance and then transition them to JPEO-CBRND for advanced development and procurement. The five-year contract consists of a 12-month first phase, 10-month second phase, plus two follow-on options. Work will be performed at company locations in Pittsburgh and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.