General Atomics

Smiths Detection LCDs selected by JMOD

Smiths Detection is to supply LCD 4 personal chemical detectors to the Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD) for deployment via its Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).


 
Image courtesy Smiths Detection

 
Following an extensive and competitive product evaluation by the JMOD, the LCD3.3 and LCD 4 were chosen for their performance, flexibility and easy integration into the JMOD system.  
 
Dr Sarah Robinson, Portfolio Director – CBRNE at Smiths Detection said: “The JMOD’s decision to invest in this technology underlines the LCD’s status as the most widely deployed personal chemical detector in armed forces across the globe.

“We are customising this new consignment to meet the specific detection demands of the JMOD and, of course, to include a Japanese language option.”
 
Compact and wearable, the LCD 4 provides advanced warnings, detecting and identifying gas and vapour threats at or below immediate danger to life and health (IDLH) levels. Using the latest Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) technology, it can determine the agent or type, class, concentration and dosage of chemical exposure.
 
In the future, a simple XID add-on could expand the gas and vapour detection capabilities to include solid and liquid sampling; plus detection of narcotics, explosives and low-volatility chemical traces such as Novichok (a new chemical warfare agent).
 
Handled locally by Smiths Detection’s distribution partner, S.T. Japan, the contract includes a total of 462 units with delivery staggered between January and March 2025 and January 2026.

Related

Sigma deepens UK aerospace footprint with new £125m Rolls-Royce deal
Rolls-Royce engine
Sigma deepens UK aerospace footprint with new £125m Rolls-Royce deal
Sigma Advanced Systems has won a further £125m Rolls-Royce agreement through UK subsidiary Bromford, following a £300m deal announced in April.
UK airports set new passenger record despite Middle East disruption
Person viewing Ryanair aircraft on the tarmac from the airport terminal window, holding a mobile device and preparing for an upcoming flight, representing travel logistics and modern connectivity
UK airports set new passenger record despite Middle East disruption
CAA data shows UK airports reached a new Q2 passenger high, with Ryanair and Jet2 growth helping offset steep falls in Middle East traffic.
Aerospace

27 Aug 2026

Sustainable aviation fuel pioneer completes successful trials
Nova Pangaea factory
Sustainable aviation fuel pioneer completes successful trials
In trials at its plant in Teesside, Nova Pangaea Technologies has shown that its processing of waste biomass and residues into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can be done at a commercial scale.
Aerospace Member News

26 Aug 2026

BlackTalon Ecosystem trains allied military operators at NATO’s BATT26
SPX Communication Technologies team at NATO counter-UAS exercise Latvia, August 2026
BlackTalon Ecosystem trains allied military operators at NATO’s BATT26
NATO’s BATT26 exercise in Latvia - centred on interoperability between industry and allied forces - saw military operators trained on the counter-UAS BlackTalon Ecosystem in realistic field conditions.
Defence Events Member News

27 Aug 2026

Cellebrite reveals ruggedised C-TEK forensics field kit
Soldiers on patrol
Cellebrite reveals ruggedised C-TEK forensics field kit
With its portable forensics field kit, Cellebrite has brought together rugged hardware and software to allow mission-critical data and intelligence to be captured and actioned in the field, enabling forward-deployed teams to quickly triage data from phones, SIM cards, drones and portable media to advance their mission advantage.
Sigma deepens UK aerospace footprint with new £125m Rolls-Royce deal
Rolls-Royce engine
Sigma deepens UK aerospace footprint with new £125m Rolls-Royce deal
Sigma Advanced Systems has won a further £125m Rolls-Royce agreement through UK subsidiary Bromford, following a £300m deal announced in April.
STFC reveals latest Ernest Rutherford Fellows
space nebula
STFC reveals latest Ernest Rutherford Fellows
Backed by an investment of £6 million, seven early-career physicists have been awarded Ernest Rutherford Fellowship’s by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), supporting research, from the search for dark matter to the physics of black holes.
Space

25 Aug 2026

Austrian ENPULSION moves to acquire UK space propulsion specialist Lift Me Off
Enpulsion space propulsion manufacturer buys UK company lift me off
Austrian ENPULSION moves to acquire UK space propulsion specialist Lift Me Off
Austrian spacecraft propulsion manufacturer ENPULSION has agreed to acquire British specialist Lift Me Off, bringing together electric and chemical propulsion capabilities in a deal that will require UK Government approval.
Member News Space

21 Aug 2026

Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone gains £300m investment as Dell establishes Scottish base
Lanarkshire’s AI Innovation Park
Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone gains £300m investment as Dell establishes Scottish base
A £202 million guarantee from the UK National Wealth Fund has attracted an investment of £300 million in Lanarkshire's AI Growth Zone, which with Dell Technologies establishing a base there too, is set to support over 3,400 skilled jobs.
Why the role of dogs in security is misunderstood
Sniffer dog
Why the role of dogs in security is misunderstood
The role of dogs and their use within today's security sector is often not fully appreciated, including their extraordinarily unique capabilities - which even the most sophisticated new technologies cannot match - and their incredibly selfless bravery.
Member News Security

27 Aug 2026

Cellebrite reveals ruggedised C-TEK forensics field kit
Soldiers on patrol
Cellebrite reveals ruggedised C-TEK forensics field kit
With its portable forensics field kit, Cellebrite has brought together rugged hardware and software to allow mission-critical data and intelligence to be captured and actioned in the field, enabling forward-deployed teams to quickly triage data from phones, SIM cards, drones and portable media to advance their mission advantage.
The 2028 quantum deadline aerospace and defence suppliers can’t afford to ignore
A Typhoon FGR4 (serial ZK364) from the RAF's No 3(F) Squadron taxis to the runway at the 86th Air Base in Borcea, Romania, before launching for a 'Tango' QRA training scramble on 7 April 2026. Image: MOD Crown Copyright/AS1 Ben Webb
The 2028 quantum deadline aerospace and defence suppliers can’t afford to ignore
Despite the deadline being years away, companies in the aerospace and defence sectors are being encouraged to start their planning now to ensure compliance later
Aerospace Defence Security

26 Aug 2026