Industry Interview: Critical Response Manufacturing Inc.
SOTECH 2010 Volume: 8 Issue: 4 (June)
Q: What is CRM’s business history?
A: Critical Response Manufacturing Inc. is a small veteran-owned business with research and development facilities located in Alexandria, Va. and HUBZone manufacturing and assembly facilities in Louisa County, Va. Established in Alexandria in 1995, we are focused on high technology sensors for government, defense, security and law enforcement. CRM is a multitalented corporation with unique skills and experience tied to advanced technology.
Critical Response [is] a highly agile company, able to rapidly change direction and move quickly to cover an urgent need. An example of this agility is the service we provided just after the 9/11 attacks, when the company responded to the U.S. government’s need for anthrax monitoring, detection and laboratory services to identify anthrax presence in U.S. government buildings in the Capitol region. Critical Response set up, staffed and operated a monitoring regime for over 30 federal buildings, collecting and analyzing air samples.
Q: What are your primary markets now?
A: We are completely oriented on developing and providing equipment exclusively for use by United States government departments and separate agencies.
As for the military, we are completely focused on developing advanced sensors for United States military use. The top managers within CRM are former U.S. Army combat developers with combat development experience in infantry and aviation fields.
Q: What are your primary products?
A: During its 15 years of existence, CRM has developed, tested, supported and fielded advanced sensors for tactical and fixed site U.S. government requirements.
CRM provides the precision TLS-41 target location system to the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force [REF] and the Department of Homeland Security. The TLS-41 integrates 7x42 binoculars, GPS, digital magnetic compass, digital still and video camera, digital voice recorder, eye-safe laser range-finder, and cursor-on-target capability into a single, 4.19 pound package. By simply lasing the target with the TLS-41, the target grid coordinates are computed, a geo- and time-reference photograph is taken and the target information packaged for transmission. This information can be transmitted via USB or RS232/RS422/ RS485 interfaces to an external host computer or radio for further processing. The system also provides a live composite video output interface.
The TLS-41 is an integral part of counterimprovised explosive device detection teams in Afghanistan, as part of the REF Peregrine Program. Through the REF, we have supplied 50 units of the TLS-41 to the U.S. Army’s Task Force Paladin. All 50 TLS-41 units have been in the Afghanistan theater with Task Force Paladin in daily use since October 2009, with no reported failures.
We are also under U.S. government contract developing the WxRock, a lightweight, low cost, fully digital weather sensor for covert operations, pathfinders, counter-terror and sniper applications. The WxRock will reduce the equipment load of combat controllers and battlefield and special operations weathermen from 20+ pounds down to 2 pounds. Like the TLS-41, it is highly integrated and contains GPS, digital magnetic compass, ultrasonic anemometer, barometer, humidity sensor, thermometer, MESH radio, internal battery and USB output in a single unit.
Q: What does the future hold for CRM?
A: CRM anticipates continued specialization and development of specialty electronic sensors for use by the U.S. military. Our intent is to remain a small quality R&D house, manufacturing small production runs internally, licensing production of our developments when appropriate.
Q: Provide some background on the company and its product line focusing on the needs of the special warrior.
A: CRM’s special operations concentration dates to the late 1990s and its work in mission planning systems for special operations use. This was followed in early 2002 and 2003 with small and lightweight chemical warfare agent detection equipment for use by the special operator. We are currently in the fourth generation of those devices. Current products for the special operator are small and lightweight one piece digital target location systems and micro-climate sensors.
Q: How do you look at new product development in terms of knowing what the warfighter needs?
A: We talk to the warfighter. We work closely with the warfighter to determine what is needed and what is not being covered by conventional development programs or current fielded equipment. We focus on those identified gaps and target sensor development to cover the need, constantly going back to the warfighter for evaluation, guidance and critique.
CRM also provides an operations research and systems analysis [ORSA] function to analyze the warfighter’s needs and to make sure that we head in the right direction. Corporate staff includes trained and experienced former military ORSA analytical personnel who perform high-level analysis for various United States government agencies. Analyses conducted include mission analyses for air and ground applications, statement of need analysis and development, concept of operations analysis and development, and sensor effectiveness analysis.
Q: Can you share you view of important trends in the next few years?
A: CRM sees the continued focus on tools for the special operator: small, highly reliable electronic sensors that provide the individual operator with capability to see, shoot and communicate under austere environmental conditions. We see fewer opportunities for large procurements due. ♦
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