Explosives Detection
All around the world, nations seek to protect military personnel and civilians, critical infrastructure, and facilities from explosive attacks. These threats are also evolving, as the availability of different types of explosives changes with time and location, and as our adversaries modify their approaches to respond to efforts to counter the threat. Effective solutions are needed for a range of different environments and venue characteristics.
PNNL is uniquely positioned to offer solutions to address technology gaps in explosives detection and response because the Lab offers:
- A strong, multi-disciplinary science base that supports novel sensor and materials development
- Extensive detection experience and infrastructure related to similar challenges that can be leveraged for explosives detection
- Significant experience in building measurement systems to meet application needs
The Standoff Technology Integration and Demonstration Program, which PNNL leads for DHS in partnership with the DoD, is finding ways to prevent explosives attacks at large public events.
- Computational and data analysis expertise to successfully exploit data from multi-sensor systems and increase probability of detection while reducing false alarms
- Broad experience in demonstration, test, and evaluation of technologies as well as in technology insertion and conduct of operations
- Participation in National Research Council (NRC) efforts to address explosives detection issues, including membership on three NRC committees
- A multi-year laboratory-directed research and development effort on explosives detection that has contributed to scientific solutions, with a new effort on signature science currently being initiated.
These kinds of capabilities and experience support research and development efforts in infrastructure protection, violent intent modeling, and explosives detection, response, and mitigation for various DHS components. For more information, contact Greg Holter at (509) 375-3967.