Leidos has been awarded a prime contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for its Personalized Protective Biosystem program.
Leidos will develop technology that reduces the need for burdensome protective equipment and increases the defense against chemical and biological threats. This three-phase, 5-year cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a total ceiling value of $19.3 million.
“Leidos thrives at tackling the world’s toughest challenges; in this case, protecting frontline personnel against emerging threats with a revolutionary approach to personal protection equipment,” said Leidos Chief Technology Officer Jim Carlini.
DARPA’s Personalized Protective Biosystem program addresses the need for lightweight and adaptive personal protection equipment for military and healthcare personnel, a challenge highlighted by the recent pandemic.
Under the contract, Leidos will also launch a combination of platforms known as SPIDERMAN — Smart Protective Integrated Dynamic Ensemble for Reactive, Multifaceted Agent Neutralization. The goal is to create new ways to address emerging and uncharacterized threats through advanced technology.
“SPIDERMAN has the potential to deliver transformative advancements that will provide broad and specific, as well as rapid and sustainable protection against chemical and biological threats. We’re excited to help engineer new ways to protect the military and our nation,” said John Dresios, executive biology director and principal investigator for the Leidos Personalized Protective Biosystem program team.