History, Development, and Use of the AP-1 Indicator Film Kit

 

This section will cover the history, development, and use of the AP-1 Indicator Film Kit. In this section you will find information about when it was designed, where it has been used, its capabilities and limitations, and how it functions.

Operational History Method of Operation Deployment Chronology Sources Cited

 

Brief Operational History

The AP-1 indicator film and its associated GO-24 package were developed to provide early warning of aerosolized concentrations of V-type nerve agents.  It can also be used to check exposed items or suspect liquids for the presence of Vx in a manner similar to the M-9 tape used by NATO armed forces.  When the film comes into contact with Vx (or other alkaline chemicals) it will show blue-green spots on the yellow film.  A graphic on the front of the package allows the user to determine the concentration of nerve agent in the air by compare the result with the images.

There is little information on the film kit in either Russian or English language sources which makes it difficult to determine when it was introduced.  It can be assumed that it dates sometime later than the development of the V-series nerve agents in the mid-1950's.  The manufacture dates on the kit in our collection indicates that they were still being produced in 1981.  A later Russian language civil defense book makes brief mention of the devices and indicates that they may be in reserve service as late as 2008.  In that publication it appears that the indicator film is being replaced by the KHK-2 chemical detector which can identify the presence of not only Vx, but Soman and Mustard agents as well.  The device is conspicuously absent from the highly valued Jane's NBC defense publications.

Method of Operation

The AP-1 indicator film is used to detect the presence of V-type nerve agents under field conditions.  It is one of the first methods by which a unit can identify the presence of toxic nerve agents, thereby giving warning of a chemical attack.  In the field the AP-1 film would be attached to the front end of vehicles, walls of buildings, the sleeves of soldier's uniforms, or even to the steel helmet.  The surface should be cleaned thoroughly before it is applied.  Additionally, the user should wear gloves and not touch the film itself.  If the adhesive does not attach securely to the surface the users are advised to pin it to clothing and use wire to attach it to vehicles.  It is recommended that the films be replaced every two days in the field, or immediately after exposure to rain or decontaminant solutions.  At temperatures below -10 Centigrade (14 Fahrenheit) it is recommended that the film strips be stored in an inner uniform pocket until they are needed to be used.

When exposed to any chemical attack using V-series agents (or chemical spill involving alkaline substances) the yellow-orange indicator strips will begin to show blue-green spots.  If these are observed in combat conditions, army doctrine requires the unit to immediately file a warning report and brief the local commander.  Then any exposed areas would be treated with the IPP decontamination kit (in the case of individuals) or more comprehensive decontamination systems.

Deployment Chronology

Here you can see what detectors the AP-1 indicator film replaced and what detection devices eventually replaced it.