Brass Wants Them To Search For Aerosol Attacks

The Army believes we already have the elements of a biochemical weapons detection system up and running in the US -- the FAA's Doppler radar network.

Testing got underway last year, but the Army's project leader, Arne Johnson, isn't saying much about it. "They show the radar does have the capability of this type of event detection," is about all he'll tell reporters. But he will say that he's confident retasking Doppler radars will provide an effective early warning system in the event of an biological or chemical attack where agents are released from aircraft.

So far, Congress has authorized $15 million to develop the existing Doppler radar net into the Homeland Defense Chemical Biological Umbrella.

When it's up and running, the Army's system will eventually use 45 sites set up by the FAA to monitor airport windshear to identify the release of aerosol agents, then track the poisonous cloud to help emergency responders better prepare.

But while Johnson is confident the system will work, other experts aren't so sure. Dr. Tara O'Toole, who runs the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is worried about the tremendous drain on resources that such a detection system would require.

"You get a lot of false positives if you're monitoring the area 24 hours a day, seven days a week," she said. "Each of those false alarms uses up a lot of resources."

Retired Lt. Gen. William Odom (USA) agrees. "Proving that this is technically feasible is the first step. Whether it's financially practical is another question," he said.

The Army already has a testing program in place, involving five sites in the Midwest. Last year, the military sprayed a concoction of water and polyethylene glycol on crops in Oklahoma. Another release is scheduled for next month.

FMI: www.army.mil, www.faa.gov