TACTIC (military program)

American military research program

Threat Agent Cloud Tactical Intercept & Countermeasure, or TACTIC, is a United States military research program whose goal is to detect, classify, and neutralize airborne biological and chemical warfare agents.

## Overview

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As Dr. Karen Wood, program manager of TACTIC in the Tactical Technology Office of DARPA, explains:

> The purpose of the Threat Agent Cloud Tactical Intercept and Countermeasure (TACTIC) Program is to provide the United States (US) military with the capability to protect the warfighter from CWA/BWA threat clouds on the battlefield. The goal of the program is to provide a system that can rapidly detect and identify the presence of a typical threat cloud and provide a countermeasure to that cloud that will kill it before it reaches the intended target.[1]

### Detection and discrimination

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The program's goal is to be able to detect and identify CWA/BWA threats within the time frame of one minute. Research includes such methodologies as:

* bead-based assays for biological molecules
* fluorescent assays for chemical molecules
* retro-reflector assays for both chemical and biological molecules

### Removal of threat

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Upon successfully determining the nature of the CWA/BWA threat, "technologies that mimic the seeding of rain clouds will be developed for particulate bio-agents, and technologies that react with chemical agent vapor will be investigated."[2] When an effective system for both identifying and countering the CWA/BWA threat is engineered, DARPA will then provide a prototype which will be vigorously tested in aerosol chambers. Only after completion of chamber testing will full-scale field testing commence.

## See also

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* Biodefense
* Biological warfare
* Chemical warfare

## References

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1. ^ Owens, Patrick J. (2009), Biodefense and Deterrence: A Critical Element in the New Triad (PDF), Air War College, Air University (United States Department of Defense), pp. 30–31, archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2013
2. ^ DARPA February 2007 RDT&E Budget Item Justification Sheet (PDF), 2007, p. 6

## External links

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* TACTIC Program summary at DARPA's Strategic Technology Office