Soldiers will receive enhanced chem-bio shelters.

The U.S. Army is receiving new self-powered chemical biological protective shelters, which will no longer be reliant on Humvee trucks for energy.

These self-contained, environmentally con trolled, and contamination-free work areas are being manufactured by Engineered Support Systems Inc., of West Plains, Mo. They are intended to serve as medical aid stations, field command posts and emergency facilities. The company said the Army made wide use of similar shelters in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Improvements in the new shelters include the elimination of hydraulic components of the power system, a reduction in noise when deployed in a tactical environment, additional space for medical or other support equipment, digital rather than analog controls, and the potential to use other vehicles or weapons platforms to transport the system.