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Scientists working for the U.S. Navy are exploring a raft of new energy technologies designed both to wean the sea service off its reliance on traditional fossil fuels and to provide new sources of power for ships that will require ever greater amounts of electricity.

Autonomous robots soon could be equipped with electronic noses that perceive the chemical signatures of explosives, chemical and biological weapons, and even humans. A portable micro gas chromatograph system is being designed to fit on a dime-size chip so it can be incorporated into unmanned systems without adding significant weight or increasing space or energy requirements. Work is underway on several fronts, including perfecting the sensor itself and experimenting with it on robotic platforms that could be in the field later this decade.

Today’s dismounted infantry soldier often packs more than 140 pounds and still has incomplete ballistic protection, insufficient defense against chemical and biological weapons, and too many pieces of equipment that do not work well together, according to officials at the U.S. Army Research Office’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies. Reducing the cumbersome weight that soldiers lug around on the battlefield is a major priority for the Army, which is intent on transforming itself into a lighter, more flexible 21st century force. Research being conducted at the institute one day could help transform current combat fatigues and bulky equipment into a do-it-all battle uniform that not only is lightweight but also provides many other benefits.

Raytheon Missile Company, Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a nearly $83 million contract modification for the Miniature Air Launched Decoy low rate initial production lot four.

D and S Consultants Incorporated, Eatontown, New Jersey, is being awarded just over $7 million for perceptual training systems and tools. The company will condu

Insitu Incorporated, Bingen, Washington, is being awarded a more than $83 million contract for operations and maintenance services in support government-owned Scan

Cobham Defense Electronic Systems, Lowell, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $13 million contract for the Advanced Wireless Networks for the Soldier radio platform.

EDO Corporation, North Amityville, New York, is being awarded a $20 million contract modification for the repair of AN/ALG-161A Radio Frequency Surveillance/Electronic Countermeasures System component