EnviScreen CBRN Monitoring Systems for CBRN Reconnaissance Vehicles from Environics
From detectors to systems solutions
The Finnish company Environics has grown intensively as a provider for turnkey CBRN System Solutions during the last ten years. The trend has been boosted with related system software and application customized detector development. The efforts in the R&D have been rewarded, and nowadays the system solutions for protection of critical infra, for area monitoring and for land and naval vehicles play a significant role in the Environics CBRN business.
Platform independent CBRN vehicle solutions
The brand name EnviScreenTM refers originally to the CBRN monitoring Software but nowadays to the whole solution with its components that have been developed by the company and that constitute the versatile CBRN detection system: monitoring software, measuring devices, workstations, server hardware and software, sensor gateways and communication networks.
Environics´ CBRN reconnaissance vehicle concept is chassis independent: the company provides its customers in the civil and military defence with scalable CBRN reconnaissance vehicle solutions on diverse vehicle chassis and according to customers´ requirements, acting either as an integrator or as a CBRN detector supplier or in combination of those. To date Environics has implemented successfully vehicle CBRN detection system projects on Patria XA-185 platform (FDF SUTI 1 Military NC reconnaissance vehicles), on wheeled armored combat vehicles (PARS 8 x 8) and on Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Vario based platforms (light CBRN reconnaissance vehicles for military and civil use).
The elements of CBRN reconnaissance vehicles
The CBRN Reconnaissance Vehicles are often designed to act as tactical, on-site level command centres. The capabilities of the vehicles may vary from simple CBRN detection and sample collection and marking to more advanced CBRN identification tasks. The typical elements of Environics´ CBRN reconnaissance vehicle deliveries include:
• A chassis integrated NBC operation room for CBRN detection and analysis separated from a driver`s cabin (light CBRN reconnaissance vehicles)
• Collective protection with NBC filtration and overpressure system
• CBRN-monitoring with fixed/semi-fixed detectors and optional portable CBRN detectors and analyzers (indoor/outdoor air monitoring)
Air sampling system for outdoor air
Ground sampling system
A glove box with a material lock and refrigerated space for safe sampling, sample analysis and storage
Marking system with marking flags and a dropping system
Reverse and surveillance camera systems
Intercom system and an alarm system
GPS based navigation system
Meteorological system
Electrical system (230 VAC; 24 VDC)
EnviScreen Operix CBRN Monitoring Software in the rugged laptop for real-time situational awareness, guidance and reporting; a Data Processing Unit (Master Module)
CBRN detector/analyzer specific PC software in a rugged laptop
Decontamination instrumentation
Personal protective equipment.
Turnkey concept founded on the state-of-the-art CBRN detectors
The EnviScreen system solutions are based on proven system components provided as COTS products - towards which the operators in the military and civil defence sector are about to turn to enhance their CBRN capabilities, when maintaining low budgets. The key components of the EnviScreen vehicle CBRN detection systems are the integrated sensors that generate the measurement and event data displayed to the vehicle operators by the EnviScreen CBRN monitoring software.
Environics´ own product range covers the most of the fixed installed or portable state-of-the-art products to detect chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial compounds, radiation and hazardous biological agents. For demanding vehicle applications, there are rugged device versions designed to meet a range of military standards. The proven multisensor technology applied in the hand-held ChemPro®100i can be found currently in the robust ChemProDM for CWAs and TICs detection from indoor air, outdoor air and heated ground samples. As one the most recent launches, Environics provides reduced footprint and ruggedized design also for ENVI BioScout that detects potentially harmful bioaerosols in ambient air and collects air samples for further analysis. In the past five years, the fruitful co-operation with STUK (the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority) has generated various competitive tools for radiation detection and nuclide identification with reachback capabilities in the RanidVision product family. The RanidPro200 as a portable radionuclide identification device and the RanidPORT as a mobile port monitor can be integrated as a part of the detection systems of CBRN reconnaissance vehicles. In addition, the hardened ChemProDM Radiation Module operating as an optional accessory to ChemProDM offers gamma and x-ray detection dosage and dose rate measurements. These RN detection capabilities can be complemented with EnviScreen interfaced or portable 3rd party sensors e.g. for gamma, alpha and beta radiation measurement and for personal dosimetry whenever needed.
As additional modules, Environics provides a vehicle dedicated air sampling system that collects representative air samples to the integrated chemical and biological detectors and to instrumentation related to chemical analysis. The company has also developed a heated probe system that enables chemical detection and identification from ground samples taken by e.g. a double wheel sampling system.
Additional capabilities with CBRN analysis
Devices and tools for chemical and biological analysis are provided as options in the Environics` CBRN reconnaissance vehicle solutions. CG-MS based 3rd party solutions are often implemented for the chemical identification of the environmental samples. Provisional BWA identification is usually performed with rapid immunoassays (ENVI Assay System Gold and ChemPro Reader Module by Environics) and real-time PCR methods from environmental samples (soil, air, powders, liquids, surface samples). A glove box provides protection to the CBRN operators and the environment against hazardous biological agents and chemicals with an isolated working space for analysis steps in the CBRN vehicles. The glove box contains an integrated material lock for delivering samples by foot patrols from outside of the vehicle.
Versatile sensor and integration support
In general, the EnviScreen systems utilize technology that enables hardware, protocol and application level integration solutions. They provide compatibility and readiness with tens of different kinds of measuring devices from Environics CBRN detectors and 3rd party weather sensors to camera and video servers. In the centre of the system, the Master Module operates as a system component that forms a sophisticated sensor gateway and data processing unit with several options for integration to the upper level of the control station software like 3rd party Battle Management Systems. The diverse data collected from the integrated measuring devices and displayed in the EnviScreen Operix user interface is harmonized and filtered by the Master Module in order to optimize the data transfer in the communication network. The data can be transferred wirelessly or by using a fixed communication network - in the systems supplied, 3G, GPRS and TETRA networks, TCP/IP, radio modems and WLAN have been utilized. In the CBRN reconnaissance vehicles, TCP/IP communication is preferred. Moreover, the Master Module enables sensor management on-line and fine-tuning of the sensor performance according to expected threat scenarios. Environics has recently developed a ruggedized military grade Master Module that fits well for demanding operating environment of CBRN reconnaissance vehicles.
EnviScreen Operix for real-time situational awareness and guidance
The EnviScreen Operix software provides the vehicle operators with a clear and illustrative situational overview of the sensor events (alarms, failures, info) and of the measurement data on a map, with emergency instructions and capabilities for reporting and hazard area plotting. The interactive GIS user interface of the EnviScreen Operix has been designed in co-operation with usability specialists and behavioral scientists to guarantee the ease of use and to reduce the possibility for human mistakes that tend to grow in highly stressful situations. In the case of potential threats, the operators can be guided to take appropriate countermeasures with emergency information and instructions like standard operational procedures that appear in the user interface.
The system software is built on server-client architecture. With additional EnviScreen Operix Clients it is possible to observe real-time situational overview from multiple locations and workstations. To guarantee effective and correct operations in threat events, it is essential to develop and maintain preparedness, standard operational procedures and crisis and consequence management with regular training. EnviScreen contains an EnviScreen Operix Simulation Tool (ESST) to train and maintain the user competence and situation management skills by providing sensor and threat scenarios simulations and tools for realistic and effective tactical drills. Also comprehensive reporting is a valued feature in CBRN monitoring systems: in Environics´ CBRN reconnaissance vehicles, this can be implemented with EnviScreen ATP-45 (C) Service for NATO ATP-45(C) compatible reporting and hazard area plotting. When there is a demand for user interface and 3rd party system integrations, there are alternatives from relay based solutions to API software integrations (EnviScreen Integration SDK (EISDK) available.
Scalable CBRN monitoring systems
The scale requirements for CBRN monitoring systems may vary from single detection point systems up to nationwide security networks. Thanks to the flexible and modular structure that makes the EnviScreen systems cost-effective and fully scalable from naval and land vehicles to critical infra protection, the system solution can be applied in small and large scale CBRN surveillance applications. Based on specific customer requirements, appropriate modules and features are selected and on the other hand, the systems are easily expandable for future needs. To date, Environics has delivered over 80 naval and land vehicle CBRN system installations and over 200 fixed CBRN system installations including monitoring systems for VIP buildings and industrial sites.
