Army taps industry for sensor tech to help assess impacts of blasts on troops

The Army is seeking sensor technology to measure how blast overpressure from explosions and weapons affects troops' physiology, including brain activity, heart rate, and respiration, according to a request for information issued by Army Contracting Command last week. The push follows decades of underrecognized blast injuries from improvised explosive devices during the Global War on Terror and renewed exposure in the ongoing conflict with Iran, where 13 U.S. troops have been killed and hundreds injured in the first month of Operation Epic Fury. Military researchers say they have entered a "new phase" of studying blast effects after years of neglect, with plans to establish baseline tests on explosive ordnance disposal troops. The requested sensors must integrate hardware and software into a physiological monitoring system, with industry responses due April 16. The effort reflects broader military recognition that conditions like traumatic brain injuries, heart complications, and digestive problems from blast exposure can take months to manifest.