Paint-on Protection

Tests of newly developed temporary overcoats for tactical military equipment showed a reduction in the amount of absorbed chemical warfare agents (CWAs) by fivefold to a hundredfold, and the coatings remained effective beyond eight weeks in normal environmental conditions. Current military equipment coatings provide visual camouflage and corrosion protection but still require enhanced resistance to CWA penetration. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA’s) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, is investing in testing a variety of new temporary coatings that are compatible with painted military surfaces to repel CWAs.