Tony Tielen, Vice President EMEA, Smiths Detection, said: “This major military programme provides Smiths Detection with a valuable reference system for vehicle integration. The importance of AJAX was recognised by releasing it into full production as a front-line vehicle for UK land forces. With continuing news of chemical weapons being used by terrorist groups, Smiths Detection’s LCD 3.3 will play a critical role in keeping troops safe. We look forward to working with General Dynamics UK on the delivery of this vital programme.”

Smiths Detection’s Lightweight Chemical Detectors (LCDs) can be easily integrated into various ground vehicles, quickly and effectively, equipping the vehicle with the capability to alert the crew to the presence of chemical warfare agents and high priority toxic industrial chemicals. With the addition of the Auto Inlet Module (AIM) the LCD can be remotely operated using a simple switching signal, negating the need to access the device for manual activation. This improves the flexibility in locating the device to ensure optimal performance. The complete LCD 3.3 system has been designed and qualified for use on vehicle platforms against strict military standards. It is also rated IP67 with the inlet closed and compliant for CE marking.

LCD is ideally suited to multi-role applications and can be quickly and easily removed and re-installed from the PCA. Flexible deployment options of the LCD allow the same detector to be used for, personal protection, fixed site, remote sampling and survey applications.

The system will operate from vehicle power supplies, in addition, the LCD can be fitted with internal batteries, supporting dismounting operations and power backup if external power is lost.

The LCD is capable of control and display communication with the vehicle management system. The detector can be turned on and off by a remote control signal provided by the vehicle, this can be activated on demand or integrated into the vehicle start up procedures.

Due to the size and affordability of the LCD, two systems can be used to simultaneously monitor both internal and external environments, enhancing crew protection. The entire system requires no calibration or scheduled maintenance; consumables are easily replaced without the need for tooling. A Software Development Kit is available to minimise the effort required to integrate control and display functions into the vehicle management systems. Environmental qualification: against strict military standards, independent test certificates are available for the LCD 3.3 system for; MIL-STD-810G, MIL-STD-461F and MIL-STD-1275.