UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AWARDS AMETEK CONTRACT FOR
PORTABLE HIGH-RESOLUTION RADIATION DETECTION SYSTEM
High-Purity Germanium System to Support UK Naval Emergency Monitoring Organisation

The ORTEC® business unit of AMETEK Advanced
Measurement Technology has received a ₤1.6 million ($2.9 million) award from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply and support a state-of-the-art portable radiation detection system for its Naval Emergency Monitoring Organisation (NEMO).

AMETEK was awarded the contract to replace NEMO's existing gamma ray spectrometry detection systems with an advanced High-Purity Germanium-based (HPGe) system manufactured by ORTEC in Oak Ridge, TN. The contract involves providing the MoD over a 15-year period specifically designed hardware and software systems for its Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

"AMETEK is pleased to be selected by the UK Ministry of Defence for this important program. We believe our system represents the best available technology for accurately and reliably identifying the presence of nuclear material and quickly determining whether or not it poses a threat,� noted Jon Kidder, Vice President and General Manager of AMETEK Advanced Measurement Technology.

NEMO uses gamma spectrometry systems to analyze radioactivity during and following a radiological incident involving its Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program to quickly determine what health protection measures are needed. NEMO deploys a number of systems throughout the United Kingdom and abroad to provide an immediate response 24/7 to a possible incident.

A key factor in awarding the contract to AMETEK was the performance of the ORTEC trans-SPEC Portable Gamma Spectrometry System. The combination of reliability, high performance and portability of the trans-SPEC system made it the clear choice for this demanding application. The trans-Spec represents a technological breakthrough by reducing the size, weight and power needs of a sophisticated high-resolution gamma ray detector into a portable, battery-powered device.

The trans-Spec employs a unique class of HPGe gamma-ray detectors that offer the best available combination of resolution and sensitivity for the rapid, positive identification of nuclear materials. These HPGe detectors determine quickly with a very high degree of certainty the constituents of a radioactive source, or even a mixture of sources.

Although high-resolution HPGe detectors are accurate and fast, their use in the field under real life conditions has been hampered by their need to operate at very low cryogenic temperatures that traditionally required liquid nitrogen coolants. The trans- SPEC, however, features a miniaturized mechanical cryogenic cooling system that eliminates the need for liquid nitrogen.