Homeland Security

STATEMENT BY

RAYMOND DOMINGUEZ

DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

(FORCES AND RESOURCES)

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

(SPECIAL OPERATIONS/LOW-INTENSITY CONFLICT)

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

105TH CONGRESS

FEDERAL RESPONSE TO TERRORIST INCIDENTS

INVOLVING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION:

STATUS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SUPPORT PROGRAM

NOVEMBER 4, 1997

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

UNTIL RELEASED BY THE

HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE

Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. I am pleased to be here today to update you on the Counterterror Technical Support Program, or CTTS. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Forces and Resources, I serve as the principal staff assistant and civilian advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD(SO/LIC)) on acquisition issues related to combating terrorism.

In February of this year, the Committee received a comprehensive briefing along with a display of counterterrorism and antiterrorism equipment developed under the CTTS Program. I would like to update the Committee on the progress of that program; and specifically, how it is increasing its support for first responders.

As you may recall, the Counterterror Technical Support Program is a fast-track Research and Development (R&D) program that addresses the multi-agency and international dimensions of terrorism. The CTTS projects are selected following a coordination process with other U.S. Government agencies and with three countries -- Israel, Canada, and the United Kingdom -- with whom we conduct cooperative research and development programs.

Both the interagency and international programs provide us with opportunities to combine our efforts, avoid duplication, and accelerate placing equipment in operational use. The DoD executes this program to address the interagency and international requirements identified and prioritized by the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG). Typically, equipment prototypes are fielded in one to three years.

The TSWG is a subgroup of the Interagency Working Group on Counterterrorism, chaired by the Department of State's Coordinator for Counterterrorism. The TSWG focuses interagency and international R&D requirements for combating terrorism. The TSWG is a unique forum where representatives from eight U.S. Departments and over 50 U.S. agencies identify and prioritize R&D requirements and recommend projects for funding. This is accomplished by addressing requirements and technologies in eight functional subgroups, whose members represent both user and developer communities. The users include representatives from Defense, State, Justice, Transportation, Treasury, FEMA, PHS, and the CIA. In addition, the TSWG includes, and is increasing its focus on the needs of, state and local law enforcement and emergency agencies.

The participation of Federal agencies, such as the FEMA and PHS, in the TSWG ensures that the activities of the working groups are relevant to state and local first responders. As you know, these two agencies provide information and assistance to state and local first responders, while DoD provides training to them via the Domestic Preparedness Program. Their involvement is important to our U.S. program to support first responders through sharing information, technology, capabilities, and procedures, and in identifying first responder requirements.

Through the TSWG, the FY 1998 CTTS program is executing numerous projects in both the national and international programs that support first responders at Federal, state, and local levels. They include the following:

• Non-Hazardous Decontamination System: a non-toxic, environmentally safe decontamination system that mitigates the effects of chemical and biological agents;

• Advanced Decontamination Techniques: improved techniques for high-volume generation of foam, optimized for chemical agent decontamination;

• Escape Hood: a hood that will protect individuals during evacuation to safe areas from areas under chemical or biological agent attack;

• Hazardous Materials Database: a database that is maintained on a hand held computer that contains critical data on chemical agents, precursors, and other hazardous materials; and

• Detector Simulant Kit: a means for first responders to test their chemical detectors to ensure proper response to a variety of chemical agent simulants.

In addition, we are conducting:

• International Testing: joint testing with our allies to develop chemical/biological mitigation equipment and techniques that maximize use of existing and planned equipment in state and local response unit inventories; and

• Urban Chemical Release Testbed: testing the effectiveness of detection and response equipment and techniques in urban settings, such as a subway.

DoD has already fielded a Chemical/Biological Explosive Ordnance Disposal Suit and a Foam Mitigation System that mitigates blast and agent release from an explosively-driven chemical or biological device for use by first responders.

Finally, the Chemical/Biological Mask for First Responders is currently undergoing the approval process by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health before it is fielded.

In this brief update, I have tried to underscore that the Counterterror Technical Support Program is an effective mechanism for addressing U.S. R&D needs for combating chemical and biological terrorism. With new initiatives, and continuing dialogue with first responders at all levels, we are working hard to ensure that this program meets the nation's needs in responding to acts of terrorism.