XM21 REMOTE SENSING CHEMICAL AGENT ALARM RSCAL 28 NOV 90

File: 090496_jul96_decls49_0004.txt
Page: 0004
Total Pages: 7
Subject: XM21 REMOTE SENSING CHEMICAL AGENT ALARM RSCAL  28 NOV 90       

Box  ID: BX000420

Document Number:         96

Folder Title: HISTORIANS BACKGROUND MATERIAL FILES - G3 NBC MIS 2  OF 4                                       

Folder Seq #:          3

Unit: ARCENT      

Parent Organzation: CENTCOM     




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               Another hardware fix, which should reduce  the Possibility of
               false alarms, was implemented at the late  stag-es of technical
               testing and was successfully demonstrated  but not statistically
               proven. Both of these fixes have been implemented into the ED
               hardware available for ODS. T'lle XM21 Alarm also has the
               potential for false alarming if the sun, when low on the
               horizon, is exactly in the XM21's FOV. This can be easily
               avoided. Sighting procedures are included in the operator's
               manual which direct the operator to orien' the XM21 such that
               the sun is between the fields of view. The sun is only in the
               position, which has the potential for causing a false alarm, 15
               minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. False
               alarms were also experienced in the cold environment. The
               hardware fix demonstrated at the YPG testing should correct
               these false alarms, however, a retest has not been conducted at
               CRTC. While the XM21 does not alarm to common battlefield
               interferents, it will alarm to halon, a fire-supressent
               material.
                            b. Mission failures were experienced during
               testing when the XM21's tripod broke or internal XM21 modules
               failed. The XM21 tripod has been upgraded to correct the
               failure modes experienced in testing. Some of these changes
               were tested during the operational testing, however, additional
               modifications were required to correct new failure modes.
               Hardware modifications have been made to the XM21 modules to
               reduce the potential for failure, however, these fixes have
en demonstrated but not formally tested.
                  d. A contact team will support the training and employmen-
               of the Army five ED XM21 Alarms. This team is composed of a
               representative from the U.S. Army Chemical School (USACNLS) and
               a technical representative from U.S. Army Chemical Research
               Development and Engineering center (CRDEC). This team will
               travel to Southwest Asia (SWA) with the XH21 equipment, provide
               operator training instructions, support the employment of the
               hardware at fixed sites, and provide information on alternate
               employment concepts. This team will remain in theater as long
               as necessary to insure successful XH21 employment. if the
               contact team feels that the XM22 does not function properly or
               if the user feels that the XM21 does not provide benefit, the
               team will with user concurrence, remove the XM21s from SWA. The
               contact team will also coordinate the direct support (DS)
               maintenance with the USMC and support USMC training if required.
               The team will provide information on system use/performance back
               to the Project Manager (PM) office.
                e. The nronospd Army employment concept for the XM21 Alarm
               primarily focuses on fixed-site operations to minimize the need
               for transporting the XM21. This employment concept also
               recommends minimizing the XM21's exposure to temperatures over
               100 F and hours of operation.

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