Computer Science Corp. in Falls Church, VA received a $11.3 million order under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M67854-02-A-9004) for C4ISR support to the Marine Corps Systems Command’s Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA). The order has pre-priced options of $1.2 million, which if exercised, would bring the total order value to $12.6 million.

MCTSSA is the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) Systems Engineering Interoperability, Architecture, and Technology (SIAT) center for the US Marine Corps…

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Taming the TIGER
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Stanley in Arlington, VA received a 5-year, firm-fixed-price contract valued at $12.4 million, if all 4 option years are exercised, from the US Marine Corps to support and maintain the Total Information Gateway for Enterprise Resources (TIGER) web portal.

The TIGER portal joins USMC information sources to provide an integrated family of web-based applications…

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General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, AZ received a $7.6 million contract to develop a new KG-530 SONET OC-768C in-line encryptor in support of a National Security Agency (NSA) initiative to secure and distribute data at 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) for US military and civilian government networks.

The KG-530 will secure large image, data and video files, classified up to and including Top Secret, that travel through US military and government networks…

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So many wires…
So little time
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The US Army Information Technology Agency (ITA) awarded Lockheed Martin a $292.7 million contract to provide operations and maintenance support for the Pentagon’s network infrastructure.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will provide network operations maintenance, management, and security support for all data networks within the Pentagon and the National Capital Region…

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Those Were the Days
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The US military has a vast store of supplies and equipment around the world. Keeping track of all that stuff has always been a challenge. In World War II, the US Army kept track using IBM punch cards and electric accounting machines (EAMs).

Well today, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have replaced punch cards and RFID readers and computers have replaced the EAMs. The RFID tags work like “wireless bar codes” that record, track, and manage the supplies and equipment of a modern networked military.

Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have focused attention on the performance of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) supply chain management in support of deployed US troops. The availability of spare parts and other critical supply items affects the readiness and operational capabilities of the forces, and the supply chain can be a critical link in determining outcomes on the battlefield.

So, not only does RFID technology help keep track of supplies and equipment, it also helps get critical supplies to the battlefield at the right time and place. DoD’s latest effort to ensure RFID technology gets where it needs to go is a $6.6 million order to Lockheed Martin’s Savi for RFID supply chain tracking technologies…

• Key Technologies
• Applications
• Benefits
• Problems
• RF-ITV System
• Other Uses
• Contracts and Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
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ManTech International received a $76 million contract to provide IT operations and mission support for the National Media Exploitation Center (NMEC).

ManTech will provide NMEC with data center operations, network operations, software engineering, systems engineering, information assurance, requirements management, configuration management, and project/program management support.

NMEC was set up in the aftermath of 9/11…

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Raytheon has completed its acquisition of BBN Technologies, a provider of high-tech defense products, for approximately $350 million, subject to post-closing adjustments.

BBN’s defense portfolio includes advanced networking, speech and language technologies, information technologies, sensor systems, and cybersecurity products. BBN has won numerous contracts from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to supply advanced technologies for the military…

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Slimmer and Trimmer
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General Dynamics C4 Systems received a contract, worth up to $50 million, to supply the US Army with engineering and logistics-support services for the Land Warrior [pdf] integrated modular fighting systems.

A couple of years ago, it looked like the Land Warrior program was dead due to soldiers’ concerns that the equipment was too heavy and complex. However, after trimming down the system from 17 pounds to 7.2 pounds, the Army is moving ahead with the program. “Infantry-21: Land Warrior’s Reviews – And Resurrection?” has more on the controversy.

The new contract enables General Dynamics’ field service engineers to deploy with all Land Warrior-equipped units and provide support for housing, repairing and shipping spare and replacement Land Warrior gear worldwide…

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IEDs: The Aftermath
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The US military is working on the next-generation of jammers to defeat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that pose such a grave threat to US forces deployed overseas.

The next-generation devices, whether mounted, dismounted, or fixed, will be linked by wireless communication to ensure that IEDs are detected and disabled wherever they are. Currently, jammers work in either a mounted or dismounted role, which reduces their flexibility and interoperability. With the new system, one device will be able to protect foot soldiers, vehicles, and permanent structures from IEDs at the same time.

The next-generation jammers, called Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.3 devices, will be based on an open architecture system of systems that will be able to exchange data.

Two companies recently won contracts to begin development of JCREW 3.3…

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The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $31 million contract to a team lead by Lockheed Martin to develop a network protocol to improve the confidentiality, integrity, and security of US military networks.

In developing this new protocol, Lockheed Martin’s team will develop router technologies that include strong authentication and self-configuration capabilities to improve security and bandwidth allocation and lower overall life cycle costs for network management.

Lockheed Martin’s team includes Microsoft, Juniper Networks, Anagran, Stanford University, and LGS Innovations, which has been quite active in securing military IT business on its own…

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