NBC Shelter
Necessity and the NBC shelter
In a previous article, we discussed the needs for an NBC shelter in the 21st century as opposed to the middle half of the 20th century. In what now seems eons ago, the NBC shelter had two main “markets” – the private NBC shelter and the institutional or military NBC shelter. We also showed how, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the receding threat of a worldwide nuclear confrontation, the threat has moved into another sector that brings with it a changing need for a NBC shelter.
Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Terrorism and the NBC shelter
Since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, terrorism has taken a new and more menacing path and we are now faced with a realistic threat estimate that terrorists have access to and will use nuclear, biological and chemical devices to kill and destroy. Moreover, such devices are increasingly capable of being easily moved from location to location, thus dispersing the threat over a much wider area in terms of space and targets. This has brought with it the need to develop and use the mobile NBC shelter.
Combating terrorism depends on, amongst other factors, good intelligence and the ability to react to that intelligence effectively. If the target is a vital strategic target, then often a mobile NBC shelter could be used to protect essential personnel and equipment so that, in the event of a successful attack, the strategic operation can continue to function, at the very least, on a basic level.
The mobile NBC shelter has been developed to counter terrorist mobility and the infiltration of small devices of mass destruction into vital installations and infrastructures. The mobile NBC shelter, whilst still a substantial structure, can be transported from location to location to maximize its effectiveness.
Mobile NBC shelter design considerations
Design considerations for a mobile NBC shelter are different from those of a static NBC shelter. The basic function of both types of NBC shelter remain the same – the implementation and scale are different. By its very nature, the mobile NBC shelter must be carefully designed to provide maximum adherence to operational and defense specifications, whilst keeping size and weight to a minimum to allow for easier transportation and on-site installation. For the mobile NBC shelter designer this is like being between a rock and a hard place and demands a very special skill set and intimate knowledge of NBC shelter design parameters. In a later article we’ll discuss mobile NBC shelter design and construction considerations.