DTRA News

Warfighters Technology Demonstration Day - Countering emerging threats that span the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) spectrum requires a specialized network of subject matter experts, technology developers, key decision-makers, and most importantly Joint Force members. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) fulfills all of these requirements through, Focus Falcon, a series of technology demonstrations that provide U.S. Combatant Commands (COCOM) with a platform to experience the latest, on-the-horizon technology to counter the WMD threat. Focus Falcon 2023, the first of this series, was conducted in Kaiserslautern, Germany in support of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command Forces (USAFRICOM).

On 9 December 2022, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Kingdom of Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) conducted the “Official Handover Ceremony of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Detection Training and Equipment.” - On 9 December 2022, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Kingdom of Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) conducted the “Official Handover Ceremony of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Detection Training and Equipment.”

Members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and other interagency and international partners, recently participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating completion of a construction project of the Regional Diagnostic Demonstration Center (RDDC) or “Training Center” at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg, Dec. 9. - Members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and other interagency and international partners, recently participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating completion of a construction project of the Regional Diagnostic Demonstration Center (RDDC) or “Training Center” at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg, Dec. 9.

This Fall, a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) building partnership capacity team completed an intensive three-week slate of training for Thailand. They successfully transferred and provided training on new Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) detection and response equipment, followed by an in-depth Counter-WMD (CWMD) Operations course. - This Fall, a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) building partnership capacity team completed an intensive three-week slate of training for Thailand. They successfully transferred and provided training on new Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) detection and response equipment, followed by an in-depth Counter-WMD (CWMD) Operations course.

Members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) recently participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) to celebrate the completed upgrades of the Effluent Treatment System (ETS) Dec. 7, in Nairobi, Kenya. (Pictured is Dr. Pope, director of Cooperative Threat Reduction program at DTRA, speaking at the ceremony) - Members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) recently participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) to celebrate the completed upgrades of the Effluent Treatment System (ETS) Dec. 7, in Nairobi, Kenya. (Pictured is Dr. Pope, director of Cooperative Threat Reduction program at DTRA, speaking at the ceremony)

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), along with various intra-agency and industry partners, supported and participated in Operation Dragon Spear, Research, Development, and Acquisition Experiment (RDAX) at Fort Story, VA, from 23 to 27 Oct. 2022. The exercise provided a platform for the Joint Forces to test and evaluate the most innovative technology designed to enhance warfighting capabilities across the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat spectrum. - The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), along with various intra-agency and industry partners, supported and participated in Operation Dragon Spear, Research, Development, and Acquisition Experiment (RDAX) at Fort Story, VA, from 23 to 27 Oct. 2022. The exercise provided a platform for the Joint Forces to test and evaluate the most innovative technology designed to enhance warfighting capabilities across the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat spectrum.

CIDAS mapped chemical agent contamination on an M113 armored personnel carrier. - CIDAS mapped chemical agent contamination on an M113 armored personnel carrier. (Left) CIDAS was used to identify areas of surface contamination on a vehicle. Areas with positive CIDAS signal are shown by a red dye, as seen by the human eye. (Right) Artificial intelligence computer vision algorithms are under development to automatically recognize the positive CIDAS signal and create a 2D and 3D digital contamination map on the vehicle surface. The contamination map is indicated by the purple overlay on the image and the map can be shared across tactical networks to confirm vehicle decontamination and clearance. (U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center photo)

Members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and over 350 health experts from Cameroon and around the world attended the fourth annual International Forum on Public Health Emergency Operations Center in Yaoundé, Cameroon Nov. 9-11. The forum focused on lessons-learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthening public health emergency management systems and surveillance. - Members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and over 350 health experts from Cameroon and around the world attended the fourth annual International Forum on Public Health Emergency Operations Center in Yaoundé, Cameroon Nov. 9-11. The forum focused on lessons-learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthening public health emergency management systems and surveillance.

DTRA’s Building Partnerships Director recently traveled to Montana to meet with The Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard. The purpose of this trip was to build on DTRA’s relationships with the Montana National Guard (MTNG). - DTRA’s Building Partnerships Director recently traveled to Montana to meet with The Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard. The purpose of this trip was to build on DTRA’s relationships with the Montana National Guard (MTNG).

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, with support from experts from The MITRE Corporation, recently conducted extensive engagements with the Government of the Moldova to better understand how Moldova is using previously provided assistance. - FORT BELVOIR, VA.--The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, with support from experts from The MITRE Corporation, recently conducted extensive engagements with the Government of the Moldova to better understand how Moldova is using previously provided assistance. The 6-day evaluation focused on assessing the capabilities and needs of the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (GIBP), the Moldovan Customs Service (MCS), the Moldova National Agency for Regulation of Nuclear and Radiological Activity (NARNRA), and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU). The survey explored capabilities across Moldova, partnering with units in nearly every region and city in the country