StemRad’s lifesaving 360 Gamma Radiation Shield has taken part in a US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) CBRN RDAX “Dragon Spear 2024” exercise, drill simulating recovery operations following a nuclear detonation.
Held at the Guardian Centers in Perry, Georgia, the five-day exercise saw troops drill a rubble pile with live gamma radiation sources. The evaluation tested technologies under the most realistic nuclear disaster conditions faced by warfighters and first responders.
According to a press release obtained by The Jerusalem Post, USSOCOM evaluators scored the StemRad 360 Gamma 98/100 for training effectiveness and 80/100 for operational effectiveness, rating it “highly acceptable” for nuclear combat missions.
Troops using the vest during the drill highlighted the usability during extreme conditions, with several saying that they had “forgot that it was even there” while breaching and rappelling.
“I was able to break through concrete with a sledgehammer and pull casualties out of a small tunnel with no issues,” said one operator.
“I love the product and hope the powers that be get it into the hands of more first responders in the future. Incredible lifesaving technology, easy to use, didn’t really get in my way at all,” said another.
StemRad’s vest doesn’t aim for full-body coverage. Instead, it delivers targeted protection to organs most vulnerable to radiation damage. Weighing between 12–15 kilograms, it can be worn under standard hazmat suits and is designed to prevent acute radiation effects without burdening the wearer.
Adopted by US National Guard
It’s already been adopted by the US National Guard’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams, where it protects personnel conducting hazardous missions in radiological environments. Adoption by Special Operations Forces (SOF) would extend this protection to elite units operating in the most extreme scenarios.
“This rigorous USSOCOM evaluation represents true validation with the warfighter — in battle conditions, on a rubble pile, with full combat gear and live radiation sources,” said Dr. Oren Milstein, CEO of StemRad. “The ability of our technology to perform seamlessly in this environment proves its lifesaving potential. Our mission is to safeguard those on the front lines, and the StemRad 360 has now shown it can do exactly that.”
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Lt. Gen. David J. Furness, USMC (Ret.) said that there’s always been a capability gap in respect to gamma radiation that must be addressed.
“There are certain countries that will threaten tactical use of these devices for area denial, or to strike critical nodes and infrastructure with low-yield (10 kilotons or less) bombs. Certain countries view them as tactical weapons that can be utilized and therefore it is incumbent on NATO nations to protect their soldiers from the risk associated with gamma radiation,” he said.
According to Furness, the military’s nuclear posture review says that American troops need to fight and win in hazardous environments (like following nuclear detonations or accidents), and “survival will be fully dependent on protecting troops from lethal gamma radiation.”
Furness stated that what troops have now protects against alpha and beta radiation but not gamma radiation. StemRad’s vest, he said “is one of a kind. No one disputes it and the medical efficacy it provides against gamma radiation.”
“These are high consequence, low probability events,” he said, adding that the vest “can last almost forever” with a shelf life being over 30 years.
Furness stressed that the vest has “real applications” for civilian nuclear facilities throughout the globe.
“With the rise of AI and the energy requirements for AI and quantum, everyone’s grid will need to be upgraded and nuclear is really your only option. And while nuclear power is incredibly safe, accidents can have significant repercussions,” he said, highlighting Chernobyl.
Comparing the vest to a fire extinguisher that “is always on site, the StemRad vest should be also in nuclear facilities. As risk increases, he said, you're going to have to have protection on the worst day they might have.”