Indian Army To Procure 223 ACADA Systems To Enhance Its CBRN Defence Capabilities

In a bid to boost its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) defence capabilities, the Indian Army has signed a contract with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Limited to procure 223 Automatic Chemical Agent Detection and Alarm (ACADA) systems.

The agreement, signed on Tuesday (25 February), is valued at Rs 80.43 crore and falls under the 'Buy Indian (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured)' category.

The deal will give a significant boost to the Centre's Atamnirbharta drive since more than 80 per cent of the components and sub-systems of the equipment will be sourced locally, according to a Defence Ministry release.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) in Gwalior, the ACADA system detects chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals by sampling the air from the environment.

It operates on the principle of Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) and features two highly sensitive IMS cells for continuous detection and simultaneous monitoring of harmful and toxic substances.

The system is portable and can be deployed in various operational scenarios, including fixed installations and mobile platforms. Upon detection of hazardous agents, ACADA triggers an instantaneous alarm—both audio and visual—to alert personnel, enabling quick protective measures.

The system is also equipped with a pre-programmed chemical database, which allows it to recognise a wide range of chemical threats and be updated with new chemical signatures as needed

The induction of ACADA into field units will significantly enhance the Indian Army's defensive CBRN capabilities during operations and peacetime, particularly in responding to industrial accidents and disaster relief situations.

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