Testing began in mid July 2011 at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, to determine how heat and humidity affect the decontamination process for an aircraft. By heating the interior of the aircraft up to 170 degrees F in conjunction with high relative humidity over several days, the test team hopes learn how to destroy biological agents without harming the aircraft. To determine effectiveness of this system, detection paper coated with an organic, simulated agent will be placed throughout the fuselage and then analyzed on site. Currently, the US Air Force decontaminates aircraft with hot soapy water, which is impractical for decontaminating aircraft interiors. The testing, which run through August, is being conducted on a retired C-130 used for ground training.
