Cerberus: Standing Guard Over US Military’s Forward Bases
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In Greek and Roman mythology, the 3-headed dog Cerberus guards the gates of Hades. Cerberus permitted souls to enter the realm of dead, but allowed none of them to leave. Only a few ever managed to sneak past the creature, among them Orpheus, who lulled Cerberus to sleep by playing his lyre, and Hercules, who brought Cerberus to the land of the living as the last of his 12 labors.
A different type of Cerberus guards the gates of US military Forward Operating Bases. Cerberus is a portable integrated tower with mounted sensors, developed to provide persistent ground surveillance for FOB perimeter defense. Alone, a Cerberus unit can provide surveillance for a specific region at a given time. Networked, multiple Cerberus towers form a mesh network, communicating autonomously with each other to act as a virtual fence.
Contracts & Key Events
Work will be performed in Portland, OR, and Boston, MA, with an estimated completion date of June 19/12. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Command /ARSRAT Contracting and Acquisition Management Office in Huntsville, AL manages the contracts (W9113M-11-C-0064).
March 21/11: Manufacturing Techniques, Inc. (MTEQ) in Kilmarnock, VA received a $20 million unfinalized firm-fixed-price contract for 111 Cerberus lite portable surveillance and reconnaissance sensor systems.
Work will be performed in Kilmarnock, VA, with an estimated completion date of Oct 14/11. One bid was solicited with one bid received by U.S. Army Contracting Command in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (W15P7T-11-C-S204).
Feb 25/11: All Native Service Co. in Bellevue, NB receives a $14.6 million cost-plus-fixed fee research and development contract for “technology advancement support services to enhance sensor technologies in areas such as infrared, laser, thermal imaging and other related sensor technologies.” The contract includes 2 options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $44.4 million. The Pentagon adds, in English, that:
“The Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate currently has a Cerberus Lite system which requires a trailer mounted vehicle to transport the system. Contractor support services are required to promote research and development which will result in a prototype of a Cerberus Lite system, capable of becoming a four-person, hand-carried portable unit.”
Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, VA (23%); Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ (11%); Fort Rucker, AL (11%); Fort Hunter Liggett, CA (11%); Fort Sill, OK (11%); Fort Huachuca, AZ (11%); Redstone, AL (11%); and Jefferson Proving Grounds, IN (11%); and is expected to be complete by February 2012. The contract was not competitively procured, using an 8(a) requirement acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5). The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, MD manages the contract (N00174-11-D-0009).
Jan 26/10: Argon ST, Inc. in Fairfax, VA receives a sole-source $23.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for 28 Cerberus units and associated spares for deployment in support of operational forces abroad.
Argon will perform the work in Newington, VA (90%) and Orlando, FL (10%) and expects to complete it in December 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $20.4 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/10. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ, pursuant to FAR 6.3 (N68335-10-C-0110).
