Chet Edwards For Congress

March 24, 2008

Local company develops Army devices

The Bryan College Station Eagle

By HOLLY HUFFMAN |Eagle Staff Writer

American soldiers may some day soon be able to immediately detect chemical and biological threats through the use of small portable hand-held devices that currently doesn't exist in the field.

And rather than lug around 80 pounds of disposable batteries, military troops may have rechargeable units to power their computers and night vision equipment.

Meanwhile, small spy planes that now fly less than two hours at a time may one day have batteries that are strong enough to keep the small aircraft in the air for half a day.

These technological breakthroughs in national defense and homeland security were unveiled Monday at Lynntech Inc, a College Station-based research and development company. The work is part of a $2.6 million congressional earmark secured last year by U.S. Congressman Chet Edwards. The funding was designated for fiscal year 2008.

"This is an important program because it is about protecting the lives of service men and women in harm's way who are protecting our country," the Democrat from Waco said Monday while visiting the Lynntech lab. "We have a moral obligation to do everything possible to protect our troops and bring them home safely."

Lynntech CEO John Clanton said the company has been working on the technologies involved with the projects for the past four years. In addition to the congressional funding, the company previously was awarded about $850,000 from the defense department, he said.

Oliver Murphy, Lynntech co-founder and chief technological officer, said all three projects are in similar stages of development. Each has about a year to go before being sent to the Army for testing, which he said could take another year.

The bulk of the congressional funding will go toward the development of the handheld threat detection system. The small, green prototype on display Monday is just a fraction of the size of its large, boxy predecessor.

In addition to saving soldiers lives, Murphy and Edwards said that the device also could be used as a tool for emergency responders called to plumes of strange smoke or unknown gases. Such a device, which could instantaneously determine the type of gas and its lethality, could have be used earlier this year when the toxic chemical ricin was found in a Las Vegas motel, the pair said.

"Maybe it's Baghdad today, but tomorrow it could be Las Vegas," Murphy said.

The funding also will be used for further development with fuel cells used to power military equipment in the field.

Lynntech scientists are working to lengthen the life of batteries used on spy planes, which would keep the aircraft aloft for longer periods of time. Currently, the planes, which have a 13-foot wing span, can only fly for about two hours, which means soldiers must carry them from place to place, scientists explained.

A 12-hour battery would allow the plane to fly in formation above the troops until coordinates were entered remotely. The plane then could fly over an area in question, automatically download its data and return to formation, scientists explained.

"We can save troops' lives," Murphy said. "This technology is probably the next major breakthrough in real time intelligence."

The researchers said they also are developing rechargeable batteries that can be used in the field. Currently, soldiers must carry with them between 60 and 80 pounds of disposable batteries, which are discarded once the power is drained.

Having rechargeable units would allow troops to carry just a couple sets of batteries, giving them more room for food and other basic necessities.

"That's amazing," Edwards said as he and Lynntech scientists walked around a large table displaying each of the three projects. "The bottom line is you end up saving lives. That's what it's all about."