Chemical And Biological Defense Program Annual Report To Congress

The objective of the Department of Defense (DoD) Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) is to enable our forces to survive, fight, and win in a chemically or biologically contaminated warfare environment. The DoD CBDP provides development and procurement of systems to enhance the ability of U.S. forces to deter and defend against CB agents during regional contingencies. The probability of U.S. forces encountering CB agents during worldwide conflicts remains high. An effective defense reduces the probability of a CB attack, and if an attack occurs, it enables U.S. forces to survive, continue operations, and win. Scientific, technological, and resource limitations remain in preventing U.S. forces from having complete full dimensional protection and meeting all requirements for two nearly simultaneous Major Theater Wars. The unique physical, toxicological, destructive, and other properties of each threat requires that operational and technological responses be tailored to the threat. Never the less, significant progress has been made in overcoming these limitations since the establishment of the DoD CBDP. Still, U.S. forces remain the best protected forces in the world for surviving and conducting operations in chemically or biologically contaminated environments.

This Annual Report of the Department of Defense (DOD) Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) provides information in response to several reporting requirements. First, this report is provided in accordance with 50 U.S. Code Section 1523. (The complete reporting requirement is detailed at Annex L) This report is intended to assess: (1) the overall readiness of the Armed Forces to fight in a chemical biological (CB) warfare environment and steps taken and planned to be taken to improve such readiness; and, (2) requirements for the chemical and biological warfare defense program, including requirements for training, detection, and protective equipment, for medical prophylaxis, and for treatment of casualties resulting from use of chemical and biological weapons. The CBDP provides an integrated collection of chemical and biological defense systems to U.S. forces. The overall readiness of U.S. forces is dependent on many factors. One key factor is the availability of equipment. Chapter 2 summarizes equipment requirements and the status of research, development, test and evaluation (RDT & E) and acquisition efforts across all capability areas. Chapter 3 details the logistics status of CB defense systems. The overall logistical readiness status of the Department's CB defense equipment has improved slightly. Several factors have had an adverse effect on the overall DOD readiness and sustainment status: increased demands by the Services for some CB defense equipment; the increased overall Service requirements in order to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; the reorganization and the approved strength increase of the Army; and equipment modernization efforts in all of the Services. Another key factor in overall readiness is the education, training, and exercises conducted by U.S. forces to remain prepared for chemical and biological threats. Education, training, and exercises are detailed in Chapter.

This Annual Report of the Department of Defense (DoD) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Program, or CBRNDP, provides information in response to several reporting requirements. First, this report is provided in accordance with 50 USC 1523. (The complete reporting requirement is detailed at annex K.) This report is intended to assess: (1) the overall readiness of the Armed Forces to fight in a chemical-biological warfare environment and steps taken and planned to be taken to improve such readiness; and, (2) requirements for the chemical and biological warfare defense program, including requirements for training, detection, and protective equipment, for medical prophylaxis, and for treatment of casualties resulting from use of chemical and biological weapons. This report supplements the DoD Chemical and Biological Defense Program FY05 President's budget, February 2004, which has been submitted to Congress.