The Recovered Chemical Materiel Directorate recruited the Non-Intrusive Threat Detection System (NITDS) into its suite of fielded assessment equipment in November 2020. Like RCMD’s other assessment technologies, the NITDS can assess an item of interest and determine its chemical fill without opening it. In addition, the NITDS is able to more accurately detect certain elements that may be present.
The NITDS utilizes neutron-activation technology to accomplish its task. A recovered munition is positioned close to the system’s neutron generator. The generator produces neutrons that penetrate the wall of the munition and interact with the item’s contents. This interaction causes the atomic nuclei of the contents to emit gamma rays, which are detected by the system. Each element has a unique gamma ray signature that is used to identify the chemical fill.