Roll-out of the TEP 90 Decontamination System - KÄRCHER Futuretech and Iveco deliver a New System to the German Federal Armed Forces , June 2008

Obersontheim, June 2008 - On June 10th, 2008, the newly developed mobile TEP 90 decontamination system was officially taken over by the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) during a roll-out event held at the KÄRCHER production facility in Obersontheim.
In the presence of numerous high ranking guests, the Vice President of the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB), Harald Stein, and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr and Chief of Staff of the Joint Support Service, Vice Admiral Wolfram Kühn, handed over the first two decontamination systems to the future user, the NBC Defence and Self Protection School in Sonthofen. By 2010, the Bundeswehr will receive a total of 73 TEP 90 systems, thus, considerably enhancing its potential of defence against nuclear, biological and chemical dangers.
With the delivery of the first TEP 90 systems to the NBC defence troop of the German Federal Armed Forces, a new chapter in the quality of NBC decontamination has been opened in many respects. Once the procurement of the planned 73 TEP 90 systems has been completed in the year 2010, not only a gap in essential requirements and abilities will be filled, but also the standard for highly mobile compact full decontamination systems will be set for many years.

TEP 90 (site for the radioactive decontamination, disinfection and detoxification of the troop)

The Complete System

The TEP 90 system consists of the newly designed decontamination equipment developed and produced by KÄRCHER Futuretech, and a highly mobile carrier vehicle from IVECO Magirus with a specially constructed driving cab which provides the crew with the best possible protection against the dangers imminent in the potential mission areas.
In addition, the chassis has a built-in crane for loading and unloading the decontamination equipment which is installed in three containers. The loading crane can also be equipped with a working basket which allows the personnel to decontaminate large vehicles such as battle tanks and trucks from the top.
The manufacturers needed less than two years from contract award to the delivery of the first vehicles. This is mainly possible due to the close development coordination between the two companies and the other companies acting as sub-suppliers, such as Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for the protected driving cab, Palfinger for the hydraulic loading crane and Kurz for the container transport frame.
In order to ensure that the system has the required capability of movement, a driving test was carried out together with the ordering party, in which the complete system underwent a special life test on the test track of IVECO Magirus in Ulm and at the Technical Center for Automotive and Armored Vehicles in Trier.
The lead management of the complete project was carried out by the respective project managers of the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB), who gave the essential impulses for achieving the ambitious time targets with the close coordination of all activities and consequent time control.

By the end of 2008, a further 22 systems are expected to be handed over to the users in the army, air force and navy. The delivery of all TEP 90 systems should be completed by the middle of 2010.
Forward-looking Decontamination Technology

Kärcher Futuretech GmbH:
"State-of-the-Art" in Decontamination Has a Name: TEP 90

For the sake of protecting the deployed troops, the current and future conditions of international missions of the NATO armed forces require highly effective and coordinated pieces of military equipment which are completely adapted to each other. The health protection and guarantee of the survival of the deployed soldiers under all mission conditions are incontrovertible criteria for the development and introduction of new military systems. This especially applies to the respective NBC defence equipment needed to meet the current and future NBC threat. NBC decontamination still presents a big challenge and a very complex task for the concerned troops. It has to be carried out as quickly and effectively as possible and requires a high degree of professionalism with respect to organisation, effective equipment, specialised personnel and training.
With this in mind, the German Federal Armed Forces pursued the procurement of the highly mobile compact TEP 90 decontamination system on a long-term basis. From the beginning, the TEP 90 was designed to meet the requirements of this new international mission spectrum of the armed forces. Due to the specific advantages of the used decontamination technologies and new highly effective decontamination agents, KÄRCHER, which is based in Winnenden, Germany, was able to create such a compact high-performance decontamination system. The first TEP 90 system was delivered to the German Federal Armed Forces in 2004, and subsequently tried and examined extensively in the framework of a comprehensive practical test reflecting all the expected scenarios in the case of an attack involving NBC warfare agents or the release of toxic industrial matter. The obtained results and findings were taken as the basis for the optimisation of the specifications of the serial production of carrier vehicles and decontamination equipment.
In July 2006, the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) placed the order for the serial production of a total of 73 systems to Kärcher Futuretech GmbH (decontamination system) and IVECO Magirus AG (carrier vehicle with protected cab). In the meantime, the first complete serial TEP 90 decontamination systems have been delivered to the German Federal Armed Forces.

The TEP 90 decontamination system is highly mobile, rapidly deployable and includes all components needed for the mission-optimised carrying out of thorough decontamination close to the contaminated troop. The vehicle cab has a special protection which efficiently protects the personnel against shots and mines.

The TEP 90 was designed and constructed for transport by road, rail, air and sea. Self-mobility of the system is ensured by a modern 8x8 cross-country vehicle with all-wheel drive, by means of which the system can also be employed off-road under all weather conditions.
The container-based TEP 90 decontamination system consequently has a modular structure, i.e. it consists of decontamination modules which can be used independently and include all components necessary for the mission-optimised carrying out of thorough decontamination close to the contaminated troop.

The system ensures the following main functions:
- Decontamination of persons
- Decontamination of personal NBC protective clothing and personal equipment
- Decontamination of sensitive equipment
- Decontamination of large vehicles
- Decontamination of aircraft
- Decontamination of the interior rooms of vehicles and aircraft
- Decontamination of supply items and packaging receptacles
- Decontamination of road sections, plants, and installations  (infrastructure) to a limited extent
- Measures against infection and vermin destruction

In addition, the decontamination system is able to support auxiliary tasks such as measures in the area of hygiene, fire-fighting and transport of water.
Furthermore, the TEP 90 is also suitable for measures after missions and before returning to the home country, in the form of epidemic control/prophylaxis and vermin destruction during ‘out of area’ operations. The tasks to be carried out depend decisively on the mission region and the prevailing conditions with regard to protection against infections.
The TEP 90 decontamination system uses state-of-the-art decontamination technologies and decontamination agents. The TEP 90 is designed so that it can be operated in a temperature range of -30 °C to +49 °C in the climatic zones determined in STANAG 2895 without any restrictions. To achieve the wished decontamination result especially under winter conditions, it is absolutely necessary to use NBC decontamination agents which are suitable fort his temperature range (RDS 2000, BDS 2000, GDS 2000).
The construction and design of the complete system and decontamination stations foreseen for the different decontamination tasks allow decontamination to be carried out in a conceptually correct manner, taking the valid principles into account. Set-up and operation of the TEP 90 or its individual stations can be ensured and a spread of contamination to the “clean” area be avoided when the “unclean” and “clean” areas are strictly separated and the direction of the wind is taken into consideration. The material flow in the individual decontamination stations is directed clearly from the “unclean” to the “clean” area and thus ensures the minimisation of the health risk of the decontamination personnel and the troop to be decontaminated on the decontamination site.
The vehicle is equipped with an integrated hydraulic crane system to make the system ready for operation without using any external lifting equipment, to ensure the independent operation of the complete system and individual modules, and to meet the functional requirements during operation. For the decontamination of large vehicles, decontamination module 1 remains on the carrier vehicle. A crane basket is mounted to the crane arm by means of a quick coupling system. From this basket, all kinds of vehicles can also be decontaminated efficiently from above. For this purpose, the operator working in the basket can move himself quickly, safely and easily to the necessary working position using the remote control system of the crane. This way, large vehicles, aeroplanes, plants and installations with a height of much more than 10 metres can be easily accessed and decontaminated without any additional scaffolding, etc. This is not possible with the decontamination systems used up to now.

Decontamination module 2 with its integrated vacuum decontamination device is foreseen for the detoxification of sensitive optical and electronic equipment, etc., with the help of a vacuum at a suitable temperature. This material cannot be treated with humidity or aggressive decontamination agents. The vacuum decontamination device is equipped with an appropriate extension module for carrying out special tasks in the field of B decontamination. The BC decontamination of personal equipment and personal NBC protective clothing is carried out in a special hot gas/hot steam chamber. The relevant procedural parameters are based on tests carried out by the experts of the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and NBC Protection (WIS) in Munster for many years. Further equipment can be decontaminated in a wet chemical process on a special fold-down decontamination platform.

Decontamination module 3 is used for the decontamination of persons, and, in addition to the shower section, includes a special thermo-electrical energy module, a water tank, an air-conditioning unit and an inflatable tent for undressing and dressing to ensure a proper decontamination process. If necessary, this decontamination module can also be used independently for carrying out measures in the area of hygiene.

The Decon Shuttle (decontamination module 4) is used independently for the decontamination of the interior rooms of battle tanks, vehicle cabs, helicopters, transport aeroplanes, etc. Using the highly efficient spray extraction method, the liquid decontamination agents applied on the surface to be decontaminated are hereby removed (sucked off) together with the contaminants immediately after application with almost no residues, and are then transported to the tank for decontamination waste products, which is integrated in the Decon Shuttle. The operating spectrum of the Decon Shuttle can be extended by the employment of a thermal aerosol generator for the B decontamination of interiors. The relevant legal provisions should be observed. The aerosol generator can also be used for tasks in the area of vermin destruction or vector management.
Due to increased environmental awareness for decades there has been an urgent need for environmentally compatible decontamination agents. Compatibility with the environment is lastly also an essential prerequisite for the use of decontamination technologies and agents in peace-time in the case of hazards involving highly toxic / hazardous materials, nuclear accidents, epidemics, etc.
In the light of the above, KÄRCHER developed a complete family of highly effective rapid-action agents for the removal of radioactive contamination, inactivation of relevant pathogenic micro-organisms and detoxification of highly toxic chemical warfare agents. These agents are, at the same time, sufficiently stable during storage, ensure safe handling, good compatibility with the material to be decontaminated and have a minimised impact on the environment. The new decontamination agents clearly represent the state of the are in the area of NBC decontamination, are biologically degradable and suitable for application even under harsh winter conditions.

The RDS 2000 radioactive decontamination agent was developed together with the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and NBC Protection (WIS) as part of a cooperation project. After application of the agent in the form of an aqueous foam and after the respective period of time needed for the decontamination agent to become active, it is rinsed off together with the radioactive contaminants by means of a high-pressure water jet. The high efficiency of RDS 2000 in radioactive decontamination is a result of the specific combination of an aqueous surfactant solution system with appropriate complexing agents, oxidants or other auxiliary substances.
The BDS 2000 biological decontaminant system is based on a special thermally stable peracetic acid and is applied in the form of an aqueous foam for the decontamination of biologically contaminated surfaces, or the active peracetic acid component is distributed with the help of a thermal aerosol generator for the biological decontamination of compartment air (interior rooms). Peracetic acid is the only active agent which does not show any gap in the spectrum of activity against any kind of microbial pathogens. Studies, which were carried out in independent test institutes, confirm the distinct biological decontamination effect of the BDS 2000 system and its efficiency against anthrax and the highly pathogenic A-type bird flu viruses even at temperatures up to 30 °C.
The non-aqeuous GDS 2000 decontamination agent is intended for the quick and effective detoxification of all known chemical warfare agents (including thickened chemical warfare agents) on surfaces of defence material (particularly armoured or non-armoured vehicles as well as other military equipment). GDS 2000 is manufactured and packaged industrially and available ready for use. In the original packaging and in accordance with the stipulated storage conditions, it can be stored for more than 10 years.
Summary

From a technical point of view, the TEP 90 represents the state of the art in this specific area because it uses the most modern decontamination methods and agents. The international missions show that the armed forces need special highly mobile air-transportable decontamination systems which can be used flexibly. The modular containerised TEP 90 decontamination system is such a system.
With the delivery of the first TEP 90 systems to the Bundeswehr, a new chapter in the quality of NBC decontamination has been opened in many respects. Once the  procurement of the planned 73 TEP 90 systems has been completed in the year 2010, not only essential demand and skills gaps will be filled, but also the standard for highly mobile compact full-decontamination systems will be set for many years.

For more information, please visit www.kaercher-futuretech.com