Portable Decontamination System Reduces Logistical Burden for CBRN Operations

View Online Portable Decontamination System Reduces Logistical Burden for CBRN Operations Feb. 20, 2026 |  By Kelly Burkhalter, Capability Program Executive Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Addressing a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear event is a highly complex situation. In some cases, even a small exposure to CBRN agents can quickly spread and contaminate the environment, equipment and warfighters.   In CBRN environments, warfighters contend with additional stress and burden because they must wear personal protective equipment. Capabilities that reduce their risk of CBRN agent exposure and allow them to quickly and safely remove their PPE are key to achieving mission success.    The Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense's Joint Project Manager for CBRN Special Operations Forces is delivering a "system of systems" decontamination capability to warfighters whose missions place them in austere, hostile, operational environments. The Forward Area Mobility Spray System enables service members to decontaminate equipment as close to the spot of exposure, or far forward, into mission space and return it to service quickly, ensuring it is clean enough to reuse and eliminating the need for warfighters to wear PPE during the decontamination process.    The system has three variants: man portable, small variant and large variant. The man portable is a battery-powered backpack that holds 5 gallons of decontamination solution. The small variant is designed to be mounted onto the rear bed of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and contains one 50-gallon tank. It is powered by either integrating the host vehicle's battery source, a generator or shore power. The large variant is also designed to be mounted onto the rear bed of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and powered the same way, but it contains two 50-gallon tanks. All three variants provide special operations forces with an air-droppable or mobile capability that allows them to go far forward into mission territory to perform a host of decontamination operations. The man portable system achieved full operational capability in May 2025, nearly three years ahead of schedule; the small variant and large variant are also expected to reach it early as well.   The Forward Area Mobility Spray System team attributes the delivery speed to direct and frequent interactions with the user community.    Matthew McGinley, an assistant program manager assigned to the JPM CBRN SOF, said that open communication allows his team to understand the user's needs, listen to their feedback and rapidly apply changes. McGinley said engaging with the user community enabled incremental delivery, which contributed to the accelerated timeline, and his team worked with users to prioritize and deliver an enhanced, agile decontamination capability quickly and incrementally.    "The user community is more risk-tolerant," McGinley said. "Getting a capability into their hands today is very important toward giving them the competitive advantage and eliminates the need to spend years in additional development and testing seeking a perfect solution."    Army Sgt. 1st Class Marchello Walters, a senior chemical noncommissioned officer assigned to the JPM CBRN SOF, said users appreciate the modularity of the system and its ease of use.   The  Forward Area Mobility Spray System is designed to have a much smaller logistical footprint than currently fielded spray systems by integrating seamlessly into the bed of their host vehicle, operating off battery power, containing their own storage tanks, incorporating siphon features to replenish water from any source and built-in recirculation features that keep the decontamination solution thoroughly mixed.    "I have a totally complete and mobile system that does it all — no need to transport fuel, generators, or water, or haul equipment on trailers, which is amazing," Walters said.    All variants of the system are "decon agnostic," meaning they can use any decontaminant solution chosen by the warfighter. They each come with two spray nozzles: a stream nozzle to blast off contamination and a fan nozzle to apply the solution.    "Although the are currently being fielded only to special operations forces, the word is quickly spreading throughout the CBRN community about this new capability, and I've received a lot of feedback from some of my military counterparts and in the Chemical Corps expressing great interest in the system," Walters said.   The system's reduced physical and logistical burden supports the War Department's priority of promoting warfighter lethality by decreasing disruptive factors. Carrying less equipment allows warfighters to focus on remediating threats that could negatively impact their mission in real time. The accelerated delivery also aligns with DOW's priority to reform acquisition by using incremental delivery to accelerate fielding and ensure that warfighters have the latest equipment when they need it. The Forward Area Mobility Spray System allows warfighters to decontaminate faster and closer to the site of exposure, containing and eliminating the threat of agent contamination.    The team will begin developing a new aircraft variant in the upcoming fiscal year to decontaminate the sensitive instruments on board.

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