JP2060 has reached an important milestone with a contract being signed by Canadian-based manufacturer Weatherhaven for supply of the Controlled Environment Soft Shelter (CESS)-Medical.

This is the first initiative to reach contract stage of 17 scheduled to occur under Phase 2B of JP2060, which aims to enhance the Australian Defence Force’s deployable health capability.

CESS-Medical is a system of soft shelters complete with Environmental Control Units (ECUs) and a number of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter systems. The latter will be used to filter cooled or heated air prior to its distribution into critical functional areas such as the Operating theatre.

The major sub-contractor and supplier of the ECU and HEPA filter systems is Hill Defence, Adelaide.

The main users of the Soft Shelters will be Health Support Battalions (HSB) and Expeditionary Health Squadrons. The shelters will be used on deployments where strategic lift is constrained, where notice to deploy is very short, when the duration of deployment is expected to be less than six weeks or where a high level of tactile mobility is required.

The new shelters will be thermally more efficient than what is currently available and will provide a controlled environment suited for close and theatre health support elements, which is currently not available to users.

The scheduled date for delivery of the equipment is Mar 2009.