US Department of Defense selects Smiths Detection to fulfil $15 million contract

National Guard to Receive Portable Chemical Agent Alarms

April 6, 2004, Watford, UK - The US Department of Defense has awarded contracts worth more than $15 million to Smiths Detection, for the supply of Automatic Chemical Agent Detector/Alarms (ACADA), for continuous monitoring of nerve and blister chemical agents. Under the contracts, more than 1600 units will be supplied, nearly all to the National Guard.

ACADA is an advanced point-sampling, chemical-agent alarm system that is capable of detecting standard blister and nerve agents and simultaneously providing warnings. The units, to be manufactured by Smiths Detection at facilities in Edgewood, Maryland and Watford, UK, are based on its proprietary detection unit GID-3.

"This valued award builds further on the strong relationship between Smiths Detection and the US Military. It's a partnership of trust for highly sensitive and critical equipment," said Bill Mawer, President of Smiths Detection NA and Military. "Our ACADA unit has been proven in the most arduous conditions, most recently in Iraq, and we are proud to offer the same level of protection to the National Guard."

Smiths Detection has supplied more than 22,000 ACADA (GID-3) units to the DoD since 1998, currently deployed with the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. More than 6,000 ACADAs were in service in Iraq during the 2003 conflict. The products were recognised for their performance, in particular the virtual elimination of false alarms, compared to the predecessor product used in the Gulf War of 1991. ACADA replaced the M8A1 Alarm as the principal automatic point detector.

ENDS.

About the National Guard
The Army National Guard is composed primarily of civilians who serve their country, state and community on a part-time basis. For state missions, the governor can call the National Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies, such as storms, fires, or civil disturbances. In addition, the President can activate the National Guard for participation in federal missions. Guard units have been deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo for stabilisation operations and to the Middle East and other locations for the war on terrorism