The European leading robotics and autonomous system developer Milrem Robotics delivered the THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) suited for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) and transportation of supplies to Ukraine.
The THeMIS equipped with stretchers for rapid CASEVAC was delivered to a Ukrainian charitable organization. Onsite training was provided upon delivery for the quick deployment of the system.
“Casualty evacuation is one of the most crucial and labour-intensive activities in conflicts. Traditionally, it takes several people to carry a stretcher and required medical equipment. However, it would require only one to operate a UGV, which can accommodate several wounded and a lot of equipment. This means that more personnel are available to help more people,” explained Captain (res) Jüri Pajuste, Defence R&D Director at Milrem Robotics.
The THeMIS UGV is a multi-mission vehicle with an open architecture that enables it to be rapidly configured from having a transport function to being weaponized, performing ordnance disposal, or supporting intelligence operations according to the nature of the mission.
THeMIS UGVs have been acquired by 16 countries, 8 of which are members of NATO, including Estonia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and the US.
About Milrem Robotics
Milrem Robotics is the leading European robotics and autonomous systems developer and systems integrator. The company is known for their THeMIS and Multiscope UGV’s and the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle. The first two are intended for supporting dismounted soldiers and civilian use (forestry and firefighting), respectively, the Type-X RCV is a wingman for mechanized units.
Milrem Robotics is the leader of a consortium awarded 30.6 MEUR from the European Commission’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) to develop a European standardized unmanned ground system (UGS).
German customs officers on Tuesday raided a network of companies suspected of selling precursor chemicals to Russia that could be used to manufacture chemical and biological weapons.
The key German company, Riol Chemie GmbH, made more than 30 shipments of chemicals and laboratory equipment to Russia’s Chimmed Group over the past three and a half years without export permits, according to documents related to the investigation. Chimmed is a wholesaler of such goods, and Russian media have reported that its customers include the military and intelligence services.
“Today, seven search warrants have been enforced in Bremen, Bremerhaven, Osterholz and Constance,” said a spokesperson for the Public Attorney’s Office in Stade, a regional district capital half an hour west of Hamburg.
“There are 50 officers on site. The operation is about alleged violations of the Foreign Trade Act," he said by phone to OCCRP’s German media partner Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), as the raids were ongoing.
The Public Attorney’s Office declined to comment further. But documents related to the investigation –– which were obtained as part of a collaborative investigation involving NDR, Westdeutscher Rundfunk and Süddeutsche Zeitung –– allege that Riol Chemie GmbH shipped chemicals that could be used to make weapons including mustard gas.
The documents, which were shared with OCCRP, say investigators are looking into a potential sale of a precursor for Novichok, the nerve-agent used in the 2018 attempted assasination in the U.K. of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian agent who spied for Britain. Russian security services were reportedly behind the attack, which likely killed a British woman who came into contact with the perfume bottle containing the poison.
Russian procurement records acquired by OCCRP show that Russia’s Chimmed Group was contracted by the FSB Criminalistics Institute in 2016. The FSB –– a Russian intelligence agency that has taken over many duties of the Cold War-era KGB –– is accused of attempting to use Novichok to kill the now-imprisoned Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in August 2020.
Russian corporate registry records obtained by OCCRP reveal further links between Riol Chemie GmbH and Chimmed.
A former managing director of Riol Chemie GmbH used to be co-owner of the same Chimmed Group subsidiary that received chemical shipments under investigation by German authorities. A current managing director of Riol Chemie GmbH was previously a director of the same Russian subsidiary.
Riol Chemie GmbH has not responded to an emailed request for comment on the raids by German customs officers. Chimmed Group did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
In the wake of the 2020 attempted murder of Navalny, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security imposed export restrictions on 14 companies, including Riol Chemie GmbH and Chimmed Group. The bureau said at the time it was concerned about shipments containing substances that were suspected to be “destined for certain chemical and biological weapons end-uses” in Russia.
The U.S. restrictions have not been adopted by Germany or the European Union.
According to documents related to the investigation that sparked Tuesday’s raids, substances sent to Russia by Riol Chemie GmbH are considered “dual use,” meaning they can be utilized for both civilian and military purposes. Some of the chemicals may be used in water analysis, for example, but experts say that even small amounts can be dangerous.
“These are toxins that are regulated under the Chemical Weapons Convention,” said Mirko Himmel from the Research Group for Biological Arms Control at University Hamburg, adding that “these substances could potentially be used as chemical warfare agents.”
The substances were not shipped in high enough quantities to indicate that they could have been used directly for a chemical or bio-weapons program, but may have been used for starting domestic production, according to Himmel. It is common to use small amounts as a “reference substance” to compare against local production, he said.
Rafa Laboratories LTD. ("Rafa") is pleased to announce the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its "first in market" 10 mg midazolam autoinjector for the treatment of status epilepticus in adults.
The development of the product is yet another fruitful cooperation between Rafa and the U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), having previously collaborated on the development of Rafa's Atropine autoinjector that was launched in the U.S. in 2017. The DOD's Chemical and Biological Defense Program also supported this effort.
The Midazolam 10 mg autoinjector is indicated for the treatment of status epilepticus, or prolonged seizures, in adults. As such, this new autoinjector can be used to treat seizures resulting from nerve agent exposure. According to the U.S. JPEO-CBRND, the autoinjector improves upon and will replace the currently fielded convulsant antidote for nerve agent (CANA) diazepam autoinjector.
FDA approval was obtained following an expedited review, a testament to the importance and urgent need of the product, with NDA submission and final approval achieved in less than five months through prioritized engagement between the U.S. DOD and the FDA. According to guidelines of the American Epilepsy Society, Midazolam Intra-muscular is a first-line therapy for Status Epilepticus.
Rafa's innovation resides in the use of an autoinjector to be administered intra muscularly to the thigh (can be administered through clothes as well), in a simple and fast manner which does not require an intravenous line. This is a significant advantage in a field setting during an emergency, when fast treatment reduces the likelihood of permanent damage that could result from a continuous seizure.
The product was developed in Israel and is manufactured at Rafa's manufacturing site in Jerusalem.
It is already sold under EUA in other territories and is an important addition to Rafa's current autoinjector portfolio, which includes various formulations for emergency use.
Amir Levin, CEO of Rafa, stated: "We are proud of the FDA approval for this life saving product. It is made in Israel and is meaningful news to the world of medical emergency solutions, thus strengthening Rafa's key role in providing reliable products to armies, governments, and first responders worldwide."
Roy Shay, Head of Emergency Solutions at Rafa, commented: "The usability of the autoinjector has a significant medical advantage in its immediate treatment effect, as well as in reducing long term damage. Clinical studies confirmed the correlation between early treatment of status epilepticus and a reduced risk of an ongoing and irreversible neurological damage. This product could assist in saving many lives around the globe."
About Rafa
Founded in 1937 and headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel, Rafa is among the leading pharmaceutical companies in Israel and a global player in emergency solutions – medical countermeasures, supplying auto-injectors for government agencies, military forces and civilian populations. Rafa's competencies span over the entire value chain from R&D and manufacturing by international standards (e.g. FDA, EMA) all the way through sales and marketing. With a proven track record of successful commercialization of niche and orphan products, Rafa has been privileged to nurture long-lasting alliances with leading innovative companies such as United Therapeutics, Helsinn, Zambon, Galderma, Dr. Falk and Mundipharma, in a variety of therapeutic areas including oncology, hematology, respiratory, gastroenterology, and dermatology. Rafa's controlling shareholder, FIMI Opportunity Funds, is the leading private equity fund in Israel with a track record of success spanning over 25 years and assets under management of $7b. Since its inception, FIMI's performance has been exceptional by both local and global standards after having completed close to 100 investments."
DQE is excited to announce the launch of its new website focused on heat stress safety. Visit www.korekoolerchair.com to learn more about how heat stress affects athletes, industrial workers, emergency responders, construction workers, and anyone working in high heat and humidity conditions. DQE’s goal is to show how the Kore Kooler Rehab Chair can provide heat stress relief that is both economical and effective. The new website gives customers access to the latest news on heat stress topics and how to use the Kore Kooler Rehab Chair’s forearm immersion to alleviate heat stress.
The focus on heat illness prevention aligns with DQE’s mission of providing practical products that benefit the safety and health of its customers. The best-selling Kore Kooler Rehab Chair has long been a resource for firefighters to use for rehabilitation and recovery during an emergency event. The new www.korekoolerchair.com website expands DQE’s audience beyond emergency responders to include athletes that train in the heat, companies looking to comply with OSHA heat regulations, and event organizers who want to provide people with a simple and safe way to cool down.
About DQE
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, DQE designs and sells essential emergency preparedness products that healthcare workers, emergency responders, and workplaces depend on to enhance safety and health. Learn more about DQE and its family of products at www.dqeready.com.
DHS issued a Request for Information for Participation (RFIP) – Testing of Handheld Radioactive Contamination Detectors and Radiation Portal Monitors.
Following a commercial nuclear power plant accident it will be necessary to survey large numbers of people and vehicles; more than 300,000 people were surveyed in the aftermath of the 2011 nuclear reactor accident in Fukushima Japan, for example, along with several thousand vehicles carrying evacuees away from the area and still more vehicles bringing workers into the contaminated zone. To support this need, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Technological Hazards Division’s (THD) Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) program developed performance standards for radiation portal monitors used for radiological response purposes (FEMA-REP-21, 1995) and tested a number of handheld radioactive contamination detectors to determine their response while surveying radioactive sources (FEMAREP-22, 2002). Modern instruments may allow quicker scanning with adequate sensitivity at greater distances and/or higher speeds. Given the time that has passed, and advancements in technology since the publication of these documents, the DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in support of FEMA, is seeking to test the capabilities of a variety of handheld instruments and radiation portal monitors under standard conditions, to allow for FEMA to publish the results of this testing as updates to both FEMA-REP-21 and FEMA-REP-22 for usage with the nuclear power plant emergency response community.
This is an opportunity for manufacturers of radiation detection instruments to have their instruments tested by an independent laboratory to understand the instrument’s performance using standard sources under a variety of combinations of survey speed and distance to the radioactive source. Empirical data collected under this testing will be used by FEMA to issue updated REP guidance as described above. Published data may include information on detection capability of instruments at various speeds of survey, at certain distances from radiation sources, and various radiation source activity. Those selected will also receive data collected about their instrument’s performance, including instrument-specific conversion factors used during testing.
Respondents are required to complete a written instrument information summary for each instrument and to indicate their interest in participating in this work if their instrument(s) is selected for testing. All information received will be treated as public knowledge and may be used in the final report and other public documentation; therefore, manufacturers should not submit proprietary information in response to this RFIP.
Responses to this RFIP must be submitted to NUSTL no later than 5:00 PM EDT, September 22, 2022. All comments, inquiries, and responses must be submitted via e-mail at . The selection of companies and instruments that will participate in this testing is at the sole discretion of DHS, to include S&T and FEMA, with input from other federal government agencies.
Argon Electronics (UK) Ltd. has been awarded a two year contract with an optional third year to provide in service support for a wide range of CBRN training equipment previously provided to UK MoD.
The equipment to be supported includes Camsim, MCAD-SIM, LCAD-SIM, ADM300A V1b-SIM training equipment and the associated accessories.
Encompassing a wide range of activities including repairs, equipment use training, spares provision and obsolescence management Argon will play a vital role in ensuring the in service CBRN training equipment provides the training capability desired by the end users.
Steven Pike, Argon’s Managing Director exclaimed “This is the second time Argon has been awarded a support contract for training equipment we have previously provided to the UK MoD, and we are delighted to be able to play our part to help ensure that their CBRN training capability remains as effective as possible”
For further details about the Argon and their products please contact:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) has awarded $1,941,285 in federal grant funding for several projects at Port Canaveral to protect the Port’s critical infrastructure from terrorism and other security threats.
The Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) will receive $1,357,020 in federal funding for two projects to help bolster safety and security at Port Canaveral. The federal funding will be supplemented by a 25 percent CPA cost share match to improve the Port’s port-wide risk prevention programs, threat mitigation efforts and security response service capabilities.
“Safety and security is a primary mission for Port Canaveral, and these awards signal great confidence in our Port from our Federal partners,” said Port CEO Capt. John Murray. “We have a critical requirement to protect and maintain our infrastructure and operations. Grants like these are important funding to help us employ new resources and latest technologies to augment our security measures with an enhanced ability to detect and respond to threats.”
The PSGP grants were awarded for two Port Canaveral security enhancements.
The Port’s Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Project was awarded a $884,520 PSGP grant to support a $1.18 million project to substantially elevate and enhance Port Canaveral’s cybersecurity posture with additional information security personnel and services, resulting in a more secure and resilient Port area.
A PSGP grant for $472,500 was awarded to allow the CPA to purchase a new Security Rapid Response Boat. The vessel will be a 33-ft. “Life Proof” boat operated by Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and equipped with up-to-date features and technology to respond to and support current and future waterside security needs at Port Canaveral including CBRN and high yield explosives.
“Port Canaveral is a major economic engine for Central Florida, expanding every year, and this funding is important to assisting the Port with enhancing safety and security for passengers and cargo operations,” said Congressman Bill Posey.
Port Canaveral was one of over 30 U.S. ports awarded FY 2022 federal funding from FEMA’s $100 million PSGP program, which provides grants to ports on a competitive basis each year. The program’s priority is to protect critical port infrastructure, enhance maritime domain awareness, improve port-wide maritime security risk management, and maintain or re-establish maritime security mitigation protocols that support Port recovery and resiliency capabilities.
The grant is made available by DHS and administered by FEMA to strengthen infrastructure and support ports’ efforts to achieve the National Preparedness Goal established by FEMA. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Port Security Grants have helped the nation’s seaports enhance measures to increase security and protect vital transportation hubs and maritime borders.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received $3.4 million in funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study acute and delayed injuries caused by full-body radiation exposure from a nuclear accident or bioterrorism.
The five-year study entitled, “Platelets in Radiation-induced Immune Dysregulation,” is led by Rupak Pathak, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Radiation Health in the UAMS College of Pharmacy; Martin Cannon, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the UAMS College of Medicine; and Jerry Ware, Ph.D., professor of Physiology and Cell Biology in the UAMS College of Medicine.
While the FDA has approved some drugs to alleviate bone marrow injuries in people exposed to radiation, no drugs are available to treat the adverse effects in other organ systems. The study hopes to encourage drug development for therapies that will reduce radiation side effects.
“Research is greatly needed to understand the complex biology that occurs following radiation exposure,” said Pathak. “This work will identify therapeutic targets to minimize radiation sickness following exposure to high levels of radiation. If there is something we can apply after exposure that will prevent immune dysfunction, we have a good chance of limiting injuries in several organs. We think we can find such countermeasures by studying how platelets moderate immune response.”
Platelets, which help form blood clots or stop bleeding, also regulate immune function by binding directly to immune cells or releasing small particles, called platelet-derived micro-particles. Preliminary studies have shown links between radiation exposure, platelets and the immune response.
“We know that platelets have a couple of pathways that might influence radiation damage,” said Cannon. “We want to understand how to regulate those pathways and lessen the inflammatory response. In very simple terms, we’re looking for the on and off switch.”
Radiation-induced immune damage often causes injury to the heart and intestine. The team, led by Pathak, will study if damage can be reduced or blocked in these organs by modifying the functions of immune cells or platelets, or by altering platelet-immune cells interaction.
This research is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, under award number 1U01AI170039-01.
Environics signed a remarkable contract with RMC (Rauma Marine Constructions) worth over 2M€ to supply CBRN Monitoring Systems to four Pohjanmaa Class multi-role corvettes, as part of the strategic Squadron 2020 project.
These new corvettes will be delivered to the Finnish Navy, a branch of The Finnish Defence Forces, from 2025 to 2027, and will serve anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and mine-laying missions. They are expected to be in full operational status by 2029.
Pohjanmaa Class & CBRN Monitoring
Pohjanmaa Class multi-role corvettes will have an overall length of approximately 114 m, beam of about 16 m, and the maximum draught will be about 5m making them the largest Finnish surface combatants since the 1930s coastal defence ships. Each vessel will have a crew of about 70.
The CMS (Combat Management System) Saab 9LV on board will incorporate weapons, associated systems, such as Environics’ EnviScreen Operix, and surveillance sensors, such as Environics’ CBRN monitoring devices ENVI BioScout and ChemProDM.
Together with the existing four Hamina-class missile boats, the four new Pohjanmaa Class Corvettes will form the backbone of the Finnish Navy from the mid-2020s onwards, replacing
“…the Navy’s decommissioned and soon-to-be-decommissioned combat vessel capability with capabilities meeting the requirements of future operating environments.”
Proven Ideal Partner for Naval & Maritime CBRN Protection
Environics has installed over 100 fixed ship CBRN Monitoring Systems, for naval and maritime / rescue forces of several countries, namely Algeria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkey, and Singapore.
It has been reported that on Wednesday August 17th, officials inthe city ofZaporizhzhia were holding emergency drills to prepare for a disater at the nuclear plant with the same name, some 30 miles away from the city.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is releasing a new safety training application focused on agency findings from the devastating 2005 BP Texas City explosion and fire and how they relate to OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard.
Smiths Detection alongside Block MEMS, LLC (Block) have been selected by DTRA and JPEO CBRND a Proximate Chemical Agent Detector (PCAD) capable of non-contact detection of solid and liquid threats. PCAD will provide a stand-off (non-contact) Chemical Agent Detector that will be able to identify/classify solid and liquid hazards on various surfaces. Hazards include Chemical Warfare Agents, Toxic Industrial Chemicals, Non-Traditional Agents, opioids, and explosives.
Smiths Detection has a proven track record of advancing chemical detection capability for the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD), having recently secured a contract to deliver an Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector (AVCAD). Smiths Detection also supports the DoD’s Joint Chemical Agent Detector Program, with the development of the Solid Liquid Adaptor which will extend both capabilities and the lifecycle of fielded systems. Block’s best in class quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), which will make up the core technology in the PCAD, have been developed over the past ten years with over $30 million in funding from the U.S. government. Block incorporates its QCLs into chemical detection systems for safety and security applications and supplies its QCLs to OEM partners worldwide.
The PCAD program, with a total contract value over $38 million, involves five phases of research and development over seven years and will be conducted between Smiths Detection’s U.S. headquarters located in Edgewood, MD and Block headquarters in Southborough, MA.
Commenting on the contract, Inder Reddy,President of Smiths Detection Inc., said: “Our deep expertise and experience in research and development programs and our ability to deliver finished products, alongside Block’s leading technology, make us uniquely positioned to deliver the most advanced chemical detection technology to the U.S. military helping them mitigate future threats.”
Daniel J. Cavicchio, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Block, said: “We are pleased to be incorporating our next generation QCLs into PCAD to support our Armed Forces. The Block/Smiths Detection team provides all the skills and capabilities required to make this effort successful.”
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