UTS and ITS’ Interoperable Specialized Chemical Ordnance Transport System (SCOTS)
Department of Defense (DOD) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) warfare capabilities exist to locate, identify, render safe and transport unexploded chemical ordinance to specified locations. Across all branches of service, EOD technicians embrace the same basic evolution of “Leak, Seal and Pack.”
To address this mission requirement, commands would each develop their own Initial Entry Team (IET) kit, usually an expensive and cumbersome task with numerous variances from their other service counterparts. In short, the equipment used to accomplish the “leak, seal and pack” evolution was disjointed and varied from service to service. This somewhat hindered community effectiveness due interoperability issues. The question was, how to leverage EOD technician expertise, across services, in an attempt to mitigate variances in equipment and increase effectiveness. That’s when ADS got the phone call from United Tactical Supply (UTS) on behalf of the U.S. Navy EOD community. Recognizing that the issue was one of interoperability, standardization and effectiveness at a reasonable price, the partnership was designed to develop an adaptable kit, keeping the different requirements of the end-users in mind.
Feedback, knowledge, and real-world experiences from all U.S. EOD communities are at the core of the development of the Specialized Chemical Ordnance Transport System (SCOTS). Over the course of a year, we worked to identify EOD technician requirements, using them as a blueprint to develop a kit that addressed their concerns by using the latest products and technology in the industry. We filled the capability gaps, not just for the U.S. Navy’s EOD community, but also for all branches of the military. This kit is truly built by the EOD community, for the EOD community. Until the creation of the SCOTS kit, no standardized kit, with service-wide applicability, had existed.
“We at ADS, teamed up with UTS and the EOD end-use customers to develop a kit that could be used by every branch of service,” said Brad Riddick, special missions business development manager at ADS. “Whereas before, EOD teams had their own kits, the SCOTS kit filled the interoperability void perfectly.”
Each component has been carefully considered and evaluated, not only by EOD community expert technicians, but also by ADS and UTS experts. Some components include, activated carbon cloth technology, combined with a fully validated individual decontamination system. This technology not only aids sealing and containment of chemical rounds, it also allows for swift decontamination. The entire system is contained in a portable transport case, and can be tailored for multiple chemical round scenarios.
“We have fielded it [SCOTS] and, to date, everyone we fielded it to has given exceptionally positive feedback on it,” said Riddick. It’s applicable, cost-effective and suitable to the task at hand. It’s a win for everybody.”
The SCOTS is a combination of manufactured nylon components, vetted decontamination media and activated carbon cloth, in conjunction with procedures directly out of the EOD publications, that make this a total solution for the decontamination, sealing, containment and transport of chemical ordnance.
This press release was written by Ellen Bock and supplied by ADS Inc
