Counter-terrorism research focused on military needs in Iraq, Afghanistan.

• Author: Stanton, John
• Position: Up Front

A small interagency group focused on antiterrorism technologies has seen its budget more than triple, mostly as a result of pressing demands for counter-explosive systems and other devices to help protect troops in Iraq.

The Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) developed a reputation in the national security bureaucracy as a fast-response organization that could deliver counterterrorism technologies faster than the traditional military procurement system, mostly by relying on off-the-shelf systems.

TSWG has seen its budget grow from $60 million in 2003 to $210 million in 2004. The group operates under State Department and Defense Department oversight. Several projects in recent years have been sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security.

TSWG contains 10 diverse subgroups with disciplines as varied as chemical-biological and nuclear countermeasures, VIP protection, investigative support, and forensics.

TSWG awards contracts across a diverse range of disciplines. On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, for example, TSWG awarded a $775,922 contract for new fire fighting garments that protect from chemical and biological agents. For VIP protection, the agency awarded a $582,029 contract for the development of a laser detection system for windows.

Another DHS project provided $370,000 for West Virginia University scientists to develop a forensic method to determine the age of deposited biological evidence, such as a small...