| The Department of Defense (DoD) has recently | | | | performs particle collection. |
| awarded a contract to Boeing and a team of U.S. | | | | When the aircraft returns to base, the biological |
| biological defense companies that will employ | | | | collector and the particle counter payload are |
| particle counters to help combat terrorism. | | | | removed for analysis. The particle counter is |
| Their mission is to design, develop and modify the | | | | integrated into the front end of the aircraft and |
| ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The | | | | determines where the highest concentration of |
| aircraft will carry a payload that can detect the | | | | particles are. This extraordinary technology has |
| presence of airborne biological warfare agents. | | | | the capability to locate, track, collect and detect |
| The DoD's Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) | | | | biological warfare agents in a designated area. |
| developed this program specifically to protect | | | | Particle counters play an important role in the |
| against biological terror attacks. | | | | defense industry due to the extremely high |
| The plan incorporates 2 ScanEagle aircraft in a | | | | manufacturing standards that are required. HITCO |
| pre-strike phase when a target suspected of | | | | Carbon Deposits uses particle counters in its |
| housing biological agents is identified. The UVA's fly | | | | production of heat shields, rocket motor nozzles |
| over the suspected target collecting meteorlogical | | | | and jet exhaust protection. Another company, |
| data to update the predicted plume tracks. Once | | | | Aero Components, Inc. performs quality control |
| the plume track is identified, a ScanEagle equipped | | | | spot checks with the Lighthouse 3016 Handheld |
| with a biological collector and a particle counter | | | | Particle Counter. |