Tuesday, June 17, 2025
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result
Home Defence & Military News Nuclear Weapons News

DoD Aims to Shield Warfighters From Novel Biological Agents

by US Department of Defense
January 10, 2023
in Nuclear Weapons News
3 min read
0
DoD Aims to Shield Warfighters From Novel Biological Agents

U.S. Army Troopers assigned to Thunder Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment, respond to a chemical attack during exercise Rifle Forge at the Fort Hood Training Area, Fort Hood, Texas, Feb. 10, 2022. This exercise will prepare the unit to travel to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, to certify the unit to deploy in a combat environment. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Stewart)

14
VIEWS

The Department of Defense is modernizing its approach for developing medical countermeasures to protect warfighters from novel biological agents.

This is made clear in a new document, “Approach for Research, Development and Acquisition of Medical Countermeasures and Test Products,” which was recently published by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense. This office oversees the Department of Defense’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program. The CBDP’s mission is to anticipate future threats and deliver capabilities that enable the Joint Force to fight and win in CB-contested environments.

The CBDP has always prioritized medical countermeasures, which consist of vaccines, medical tests and drugs. “No matter how good our boots, suits, gloves and masks perform, there’s always going to be the risk that our warfighters don’t necessarily have their equipment on when they need it. So having medical countermeasures as an added layer for protection makes sense,” Dr. Kevin Wingerd, CBDP’s medical director, said.

What has changed is the nature of the threat.

“The convergence of different sciences and technologies is transforming the biological threat landscape,” Wingerd said. “In particular, it has created a nearly limitless number of potential threats we must defend against.”

This contrasts to the past, when DOD developed medical countermeasures against a defined list of specific threats, typically ones adversaries had already weaponized. But this “one bug, one drug” approach isn’t viable in the face of the exponentially larger number of potential threats, including novel ones.

Nor is the Department solely focused on deliberate biological threats. In his Biodefense Vision Memo published in November 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III directed the Department to be postured against agents that are naturally occurring as well as those that may have been released accidentally, alongside traditional deliberate ones. The new medical countermeasures approach provides a roadmap to address this more challenging problem set.

According to the document, nonspecific medical countermeasures will enable warfighters to remain on the battlefield after being exposed to an agent. After that agent has been identified, rapid development of medical countermeasures that eliminate the specific threat will be given to all warfighters, including those newly entering the battle.

Nonspecific medical countermeasures are broad-spectrum acting and are designed to target a set of similar agents, diseases or symptoms. Nonspecific medical countermeasures are particularly vital for novel agents that have no medical countermeasures. Administrating nonspecific medical countermeasures could alleviate symptoms, slow down disease progression and reduce transmission of the agent, allowing troops to remain in the battle with little impairment. While the agent may be suppressed for a given period, a medical countermeasure that targets and eliminates the novel agent is still required.

As Wingerd puts it, “Using nonspecific medical countermeasures allows the agent’s effects to be mitigated and the warfighter to remain operational and combat ready, while simultaneously allowing for rapid development of specific medical countermeasures that can be used to completely get rid of the agent and protect incoming warfighters.”

To rapidly develop narrow-spectrum medical countermeasures, the CBDP will leverage cutting edge technology including artificial intelligence and machine learning and establish partnerships with known pharmaceutical manufacturers. The CBDP considers manufacturing capacity a strategic challenge, which the new approach addresses as a goal.

“In a response preparedness posture, we need to invest in unique medical infrastructure designed to rapidly produce new vaccines and drugs, and leverage existing medical infrastructure by adapting them to target new agents quickly,” Wingerd explained.

“What COVID has certainly taught us is that if that industrial base isn’t present, it doesn’t matter how good your ideas are, they’re just not going to go anywhere,” he added, mentioning that partnerships with the interagency, academia and U.S. allies and partners are also critical.

Tags: biological agentsBiological weaponschemical weaponsDoD
Previous Post

US Navy warship transits through Taiwan Strait

Next Post

Japan, India start first joint fighter jet drill

Related Posts

EU warns Belarus opening door to Russian nukes after vote

Russia’s updated nuclear ‘red line’ adds uncertainty: experts

November 20, 2024

Russia's new nuclear doctrine reflects its hopes to deter Ukraine's allies from a greater role in the war by establishing...

Russian defence ministry says held fresh nuclear drills

Russian defence ministry says held fresh nuclear drills

October 30, 2024

Russia said Tuesday its army held fresh nuclear drills under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, who recently called for...

Next Post
Russia waits India’s order to supply MiG-29K fighters for Vikrant aircraft carrier

Japan, India start first joint fighter jet drill

Latest Defense News

Britain, Germany jointly developing missiles: ministers

Britain, Germany jointly developing missiles: ministers

May 17, 2025
Trump announces ‘full and immediate’ India-Pakistan ceasefire

Trump announces ‘full and immediate’ India-Pakistan ceasefire

May 10, 2025
Pakistan says Indian missiles strike air bases as conflict spirals

Pakistan says Indian missiles strike air bases as conflict spirals

May 10, 2025
J-10C fighter jet

Pakistan says India has brought neighbours ‘closer to major conflict’

May 9, 2025
North Korea fires multiple suspected cruise missiles

North Korea fires flurry of short-range ballistic missiles

May 9, 2025
China says ‘closely watching’ Ukraine situation after Russian attack

China vows to stand with Russia in face of ‘hegemonic bullying’

May 9, 2025

Defense Forum Discussions

  • Middle East Defence & Security
  • Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
  • Indonesia: 'green water navy'
  • RMAF Future; need opinions
  • Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) News and Discussions
  • Could this B-24 Liberator, found in the Philippines, be the missing RAAF Aircraft A72-191?
  • Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates
  • Indonesian Aero News
  • Military Aviation News and Discussion
  • General Aviation Thread
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com