The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease's program for development of diagnostic technologies for defense against biological weapons is focused on supporting unit readiness by improving the health of soldiers in the field. The program explores the use of orthogonal technologies to detect multiple agent biomarkers to provide a high level of confidence to the diagnostic questions being asked. Currently, the program research goals are focused in four major areas: assay development, biological target identification, technology assessment, and testing and evaluation. Research conducted over the last seven years has led to the fielding of a large number of real-time nucleic acid detection assays and improved immuno assays capable of detecting all of the major biothreat agents. Future research efforts are focused on integration of technologies into a single device capable of providing high confidence diagnostics to forward deployed troops.