Anti-terrorism focus: Federal Research Agency tackling improvised bombs.

A government research organization that traditionally has concentrated on homeland defense efforts is shifting its attention to the problem of improvised explosive devices, which are taking a heavy toll on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.

The technical support working group, or TSWG, is composed of representatives from the Departments of Defense, State, Justice, Energy and Homeland Security, as well as a host of other federal agencies. It meets regularly to identify and prioritize research and development requirements for countering terrorism.

TSWG--pronounced "tis-wig"--was established in 1983, after the suicide bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Nearly 250 Marines died in that attack, when an explosives-laden truck crashed through the barracks security perimeter.

Every year, TSWG conducts a briefing in Washington, D.C., to lay out its annual research and development goals for interested industry representatives.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 2001, TSWG's efforts have centered on protecting the homeland, but this began to change as American casualties in Iraq increased.

TSWG's emphasis this year is on finding better ways to protect troops in Iraq from roadside bombs, said Jeffrey M. David, deputy director of the Defense Department's combating terrorism technology support office that manages TSWG activities.

TSWG is seeking this year to fund 60 projects at a cost of about $60 million, he said. In addition to that money, the Pentagon's joint improvised device defeat task force--which was established in 2003--is providing another $20 million. Some of the technologies that TSWG is seeking would be useful both against insurgents in Iraq and terrorists attacking domestic targets, officials said.

Between 30 to 40 percent of the contracts that are awarded will go to small businesses, David told the industry representatives. "We like that, because we know you're hungry," he said. "You'll go out there and sell the product."

TSWG also makes an effort to spread its contracts widely, David said. "Forty two states get money from us," he noted. International partners include the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Israel.

TSWG consists of several subgroups, whose shopping list for 2005 includes these examples:

Explosive detection. TSWG wants to develop handheld multi-mode systems that are capable of detecting explosives, and adding markers to explosives to identify their source and other materials of concern for force protection, said IED Program Manager Lou Wasserzug.

"Systems must be hardened for maritime and desert environments," he said. "Even if the equipment is in a trailer, don't assume that it's hermetically sealed. Dust is still a problem."

Improvised device defeat. Explosive ordinance disposal technicians need a collapsible cart "to take their tools and equipment down to the bomb site," said Program manager Bob Bezanson. The cart also should be able to function as a gurney in the event of casualties, he said. Its height should be adjustable, from 20 to 40 inches. It should be five feet long and wide enough to fit through a standard 32-inch doorframe, Bezanson said.

CBRN countermeasures. First responders in military units and civilian agencies need a victim-locator system to use for search-and-rescue operations in standing buildings or rubble after a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, said Program Manager Gabe Ramos.

The system should be portable and weigh less than 50 pounds, battery-powered and able to fit in a backpack, he said. It should have a range of six to 25 feet, and be able to search a 1,000 cubic-foot area within five minutes.

Investigative support and forensics. U.S. investigators need a method to identify the camouflage clothing worn by insurgents in Iraq, said ISF Program Manager Jeff Huber. The method should address such traits as frequency of repetition, and intersection of colors, patterns and shapes. It should provide a statistical comparison of techniques to meet federal evidence standards.

Physical security. In hostile environments, such as Iraq, military convoys need technology to improve their situational awareness, explained PS Program Manager Dan Schoettingen.

TSWG is seeking an integrated sensor system on a moving platform to accompany the convoy, he said. The system should be able to identify and locate both moving and parked vehicles that could pose an immediate IED threat.

Schoettingen appealed for an especially quick response to this need. "A lot of people in coalition forces are losing their lives right now because of this technological insufficiency," he noted.

Tactical operations support. TSWG is seeking a small, rugged all-weather listening device that can be launched from a weapon system into potentially dangerous areas and transmit back voice or background noises, noted TOS Program Manager Butch Hager. The device must be compatible with existing special weapons and tactics systems, able to be launched at least 100 feet and transmit to a receiver at least 300 feet away, employ several simultaneously monitored sensors and be reused at least 10 times, he said.

Blast effects and mitigation. TSWG is looking for technology to help determine the vulnerability of intercity passenger service and city rail transit systems, explained Bezanson. The technology should be available both to deployed combat forces and to homeland security agencies within the United States, he said.

"If a bomb goes off on a train while it is in the station," he asked, "what is the effect on the station itself? That's where 90 percent of the passengers are."

What, Bezanson asked, would be the impact on adjacent tunnels, bridges and waterways? Shutting down the tunnels beneath the harbor at Norfolk, Va., a major port and the largest complex of military and naval bases in the world, could cause a major national crisis, he noted.

Authorities need to be able to estimate the cost to repair those facilities, Bezanson said, noting the expense of rebuilding the World Trade Center after 9/11 is now estimated at $1 trillion.

VIP protection. Civilian and military security units need a portable system for screening people for explosives at events where national leaders, top military officers and other high-visibility personages will be present, said VIPP Program Manager Larry Tierney.

The system should maintain the same effectiveness as those at fixed sites. It should detect and identify explosives on personnel in accordance with the standards set by the Transportation Security Administration, he said. "Frequency of false alarms is a major consideration," he said.

Special projects. Both military services and homeland-security agencies need to develop technology to assist in detecting people engaged in the collecting and acquisition of IED components, said SP Program Manager Dave Markham.

Such a system must be capable of identifying suspicious activities and individuals, as well as tagging, tracking and locating them.

"The bottom line is we're going after individuals who are engaged in anomalous activities that could involve the collecting and assembling of IEDs," he said. "That's one of the biggest problems that we have in Iraq."

Specifics for these and other items on TSWG's wish list are contained in broad agency announcements posted in March on the agency website (www.bids.tswg.gov). Companies that missed this year's April deadline can begin planning for 2006, officials said. It sometimes takes several years for TSWG to find a supplier.

The group has been trying, for seven years, to find a single-sided imaging system, said Bezanson. Such a system should have the capability to obtain internal images of a target, if given access to a single side of it, without physical contact, he said.

"EOD needs to have the technology to tell what's inside of a device, Bezanson said.

TSWG maintains a technology transition office to assist contract winners in developing their products. "In many cases, small businesses in particular need help, and that's why I'm here," said James A. Ball, technology transition manager.

"A lot of people think that if they develop a product for the federal government, the government is going to steal the idea and walk away with it," he said. On the contrary, he added. "We want to help you protect your idea."

The technology transfer office provides advice on such topics as intellectual property management, regulatory issues, federal and commercial standards, liability and risk reduction, security and export control, market assessments, commercialization strategies, and test and evaluation procedures, Ball said.

"We provide infrastructure for you to do your job," he told industry representatives. "We're fighting a war. We need to get this stuff out there to the war fighter, and do it effectively."