This thesis presents a concept for a near-future application of an integrated land-, air-, and space-based system of sensors, detectors, and analysis to provide critical immediate warning, reporting, and situational updates of NBC attacks. It shows how much more efficient and effective this concept is as compared to the United States' current system of independent detectors and sensors operating separately at the various levels of command and control. Ultimately, it describes a concept that has a greater potential to achieve the United States' objective of convincing our enemies that NBC weapons will be ineffective against us. The U.S. Counter-Proliferation Initiative is the overarching strategy for countering the WMD threat. It focuses on prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, deterrence of their use, and defense measures countering use. While these three arms of the Counter-Proliferation Initiative currently exist in separate operational bodies, they have yet to be linked in a way that will combine and, consequently, strengthen their efforts. What they lack is a system that allows all three elements of this initiative to operate simultaneously and synergistically to nullify the risk or loss of personnel and material from weapons of mass destruction usage. This thesis presents a concept to achieve this critically needed synergy.

ADA 367776 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)