Monthly Archives: September 2010

BAE Systems to Provide Cyber Security to FBI in $40 Million Order

Posted by on September 29, 2010 No comments

BAE Systems was selected to provide critical information security safeguards, including certification and accreditation, to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of FBI computer networks in the United States and around the world. Under a $40 million order, BAE Systems serves as the prime contractor offering information security risk assessments, a form of quality control. The information assurance process is cyclical and is continuously monitored and improved as risks change so that data, some of it classified, is transmitted, stored and protected safely.

Continuous monitoring is a technique to address the security impacts on an information system resulting from changes to the hardware or software during the lifecycle.

“We’re serving as the gatekeepers for the FBI in the cyber world,” said Tom Sechler, a vice president and general manager of the company’s Intelligence & Security sector. “With the level of management, expert staffing and quality control that we’re providing the customer, everyone at the FBI can click ‘send’ with peace of mind.”

It is the first order awarded in the Information Assurance Program Support contract vehicle, a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity effort valued at $134 million.

BAE Systems’ Intelligence & Security sector, based in Arlington, VA, focuses on four core customer missions – intelligence and counterintelligence, homeland security, law enforcement, and support to military operations.

Alion Awarded $3.6M Contract to Advance LandWarNet Concepts Under the Army Battle Command Support Services Contract

Posted by on September 27, 2010 No comments

The Army is challenged with supporting an Army at War and building the Army of the Future at the same time, with constrained resources. To assist, Alion Science and Technology has been awarded a $3.6 million task order to help advance the Army’s information capabilities through technical engineering support. Alion will assist the efforts to enhance LandWarNet, which supports a standardized set of Warfighter capabilities across the Army’s computer networks and enterprise processes.

Alion’s ongoing efforts will provide services and subject matter expertise to the Army LandWarNet and Battle Command Directorate to help prioritize and assess architectures, make material fielding strategy improvements, optimize fiscal resources and synchronize LandWarNet and battle command capabilities across the entire Army enterprise. Alion’s work will support strategic planning, system of systems analysis and programming efforts for the directorate.

“It’s extremely critical for decision makers to receive quality information for mission success,” said Timer Keenan, Alion Senior Vice President and Manager of the Strategic Operations Group. “Our goal is to help increase Warfighter combat capability and survivability through the building of a fully networked environment.”

Telos Awarded Air Force Task Order For Network Management Modernization

Posted by on September 24, 2010 No comments

Telos has received a $13 million order from the Air Force to deliver a web proxy server replacement as well as certify and accredit an advanced software version for the Combat Information Transport System (CITS) program. The network management initiative will replace aging equipment and improve security, and includes hardware, software, training, and certification and accreditation (C&A) services.

This contract was awarded through the Network Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) contract vehicle.

“Secure access to the internet is crucial to Air Force mission performance,” said Ronnie Carter, Cyber/Integration Division chief at the Electronic Systems Center. “Detection and prevention of network attacks is a high priority for the Air Force.”

At each base, the network boundary includes a web proxy, which ensures authentication and validation of web site URLs and IP addresses. The proxy denies access to black-list sites which spread viruses or other malicious programs.

“The proxy operates quietly in the background – protecting and defending the Air Force network at each base boundary. The web proxy can prevent users from accessing malicious websites, which could commit identity theft. Those websites can also target high-ranking users and steal their electronic access to sensitive information,” said 2nd Lt. Richard Barnard, web proxy modernization program manager.

The Air Force’s CITS program is a multi-year initiative to provide a high speed, broadband, digital information transport system. This system must integrate existing data systems and provide the capability to integrate all existing and planned voice, video, imagery and sensor systems, including classified systems.

“The NETCENTS vehicle has been one of our strongest channels,” said Jim Morehouse, vice president of Strategic Programs for Telos. “Based on our long history working with the Air Force, we understand the service’s requirements and its evolving needs. Web proxy is another example of how Telos can provide solutions that will meet its needs both now and in the future.”

LaCrosse Footwear Receives $8.6 Million Order from the United States Army

Posted by on September 22, 2010 1 comment

LaCrosse Footwear announced that it has received a new $8.6 million delivery order from the U.S. Army for the Danner Combat Hiker boot. The Company anticipates delivering this order of the Combat Hiker boot within the next 90 days for soldiers in Afghanistan.

“The United States Army´s request for more of our Combat Hiker testifies to the boot’s proven performance in the field,” said Joseph P. Schneider, President and CEO of LaCrosse Footwear, “In recent years, we’ve been working closely with the U.S. Army to develop and provide footwear for extended wear and high performance in harsh mountain terrain and challenging weather conditions. We remain focused on combining our deep understanding of what soldiers need with our expertise in innovative product engineering, unique manufacturing capabilities and a passion for our craft. We are proud to support the men and women who serve our country.”

Danner provides premium performance footwear built to meet the demands and specific requirements for multiple branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Danner Combat Hiker is a full-grain leather hiker designed with a rugged Vibram outsole for traveling over uneven terrain while carrying heavy loads, a breathable Gore Tex lining and a rubber rand surrounding the entire lower boot to protect against abrasion and damage from rock and scree. The Combat Hiker is also shorter than standard issue military boots in order to provide greater mobility during steep ascents and descents. These boots will be produced in the Company’s new world-class manufacturing facility located in Portland, Ore.

Danner military products are available through retail and exchange stores on U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force bases, and on Danner’s web site www.danner.com.

SpaceX and EADS Astrium Announce Agreement to Bring Falcon 1 Launch Capabilities to the European Institutional Market

Posted by on September 20, 2010 No comments

SpaceX and Astrium announced a commercial agreement to provide dedicated launch services to the European institutional small satellite market.

Under the agreement, Astrium intends to work with SpaceX to market Falcon 1 launch capabilities to various space agencies and other institutional customers in Europe for launches to take place through 2015.

With dedicated launch services, customers with very small payloads can launch independently to low-Earth orbit, giving them greater control over launch and launch schedule. With the Falcon 1, these services can be provided at the world’s lowest cost per flight when compared to any other launch service provider.

“I am proud that such a prominent European leader in space transportation, satellite systems and services would choose to team with SpaceX,” said Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO and CTO. “Our agreement with Astrium opens exciting new doors for SpaceX. Together we will meet the growing demand for reliable, low-cost and dedicated launch services for very small Earth observation and scientific payloads for European institutional customers.”

Falcon launch vehicles are designed to provide breakthrough advances in reliability, cost, and time to launch. The primary design driver is reliability – nothing is more important than getting a customer’s spacecraft safely to its intended destination.

Saab: Future Missile System for Gripen

Posted by on September 17, 2010 No comments

Defense and security company Saab has received an order from FMV (the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) regarding the integration of the active radar-guided Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile, Meteor. The order is worth MSEK 312 spread over four years.

The integration means that Meteor will be adapted to other Gripen systems, such as the radar and displays. The order includes test flights and test firing, as well as the integration of Meteor with support and maintenance systems such as simulators and planning computers. The Swedish Gripen C/D aircraft will also have a two-way datalink for communication between the aircraft and the missile once it has been fired.

“Meteor has substantially better performance than any other BVR missile existing today, which will obviously increase Gripen’s ability to defend against other aircraft,” says Lennart Sindahl, Head of business area Aeronautics within Saab. “The fact that Gripen is also being used internationally as an airborne platform in the development of Meteor shows that we have a technical level in Sweden that few other countries can match.”

Gripen has been used since 2006 as the test aircraft for the development of Meteor. Multiple missiles have been fired from Gripen to date. This experience can now be utilised for a more cost-effective integration of Meteor with the Swedish Armed Forces’ Gripen C/D.

The order mainly concerns Saab’s operations in Linköping and to some extent Gothenburg.

Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops adapts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs.

Meteor has been designed to defeat current and future threats at beyond visual range, with an understanding performance that will totally redefine an aircraft’s air combat capability. Meteor has the largest No Escape Zone of any air-to-air weapon, resulting in a long stand-off range and high kill probability that ensures air superiority and pilot survivability. The programme is on schedule to deliver the first production deliveries in 2012 and is the result of a successful six-nation European collaboration, in which Saab Dynamics of Sweden is a partner of the prime contractor, MBDA.

The Gripen is the first of the new generation fighter aircraft to enter service and the first to be used for firing Meteor, the high-tech beyond visual range missiles of the future. Using the latest available technology it is capable of performing an extensive range of air-to-air and air-to-surface operational missions and employing the latest weapons. Gripen, designed to meet the demands of current and future threats, is in service with the Swedish, Czech Republic, Hungarian and South African Air Forces and has also been ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force. The UK Empire Test Pilots´ School (ETPS) is also operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots world wide.

Panel: How Space Exploration Enhances U.S. Medicine, Life Sciences, and Economy

Posted by on September 15, 2010 No comments

Industry and academic leaders will meet in the nation’s capital on September 16 to discuss how space exploration enhances the United States’ “biological economy,” and what advances in telemedicine life sciences made possible by the space program mean to our nation’s long-term economic and physical health as well as to the future of space exploration.

Organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), “Space and the Biological Economy – Driving the Lift” will feature panelists from industry and academia. The discussions is free and open to the public, and will take place on Thursday, September 16, at 1:00 p.m. in Room 2325 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, Washington, D.C. 20003.

Moderated by Dr. D. Marshall Porterfield, professor of biological engineering, university scholar, and co-director of the Physiological Sensing Facility, Purdue University, the event will feature Dr. Mark G. Janczewski, Col., U.S. Air Force (retired), former chief of the Department of Defense Telehealth Department and former chief flight surgeon, U.S. Air Force; Dr. Bert G. Drake, senior research plant physiologist, emeritus, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; Dr. Jay Garland, chief scientist, Dynamics Corporation, and Dr. Erika Wagner, executive director, X Prize Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

AIAA President Mark Lewis stated: “From the recent mining disaster in Chile to advances in medical technology and health programs, the life sciences programs connected to America’s space program have played a key role in the advancement of medical knowledge and technology – driving the emergence of America’s biological economy, and greatly improving the lives of people in the United States and around the world. This panel will explain the critical links between the space program and our daily physical health, and call attention to how advances in the life sciences will continue to shape our future abilities to sustain human health as well as make future space exploration missions possible.”

Although admission is free and open to the public and the media, space is limited. Please RSVP to rossb@aiaa.org to register, noting any media affiliation for reserved seating. For additional information please contact Ross Bell at 703.264.7517.

A-T Solutions Awarded $8.9 Million US Navy Contract

Posted by on September 13, 2010 No comments

A-T Solutions has been awarded an $8.9 million contract to support Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) Joint Center of Excellence (JCOE), contracting through the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport with Mobile Counter Improvised Explosive Device Interactive Trainers (MCIT), a technology-based solution for delivering effective counter-IED training. The contract contains options to deliver additional training units, which, if exercised, will expand the project value to $17.8 million.

“We are pleased to be delivering our first MCIT training program to the U.S. Navy,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of A-T Solutions. “This is an exciting program because through its deployment we have the chance to save lives by increasing the number of our warfighters who will be better prepared to detect and defeat IEDs during operational deployments.”

The MCIT program was developed as a pilot over the past two years under the JIEDDO Joint Center of Excellence sponsorship to address the critical needs of the military in the area of counter-IED training. Three prototype systems were designed and built in 2009 by the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies and A-T Solutions to support the training of soldiers prior to deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. MCITs are currently located at Fort Campbell, Camp Pendleton and Camp Shelby.

The MCIT, which is able to train an entire company-sized unit each day, helps troops recognize components of IEDs and teaches them how to detect these deadly weapons by using interactive video, terrain maps and realistic simulations. It also tests for knowledge retention. The training approach includes video storytelling techniques and multimedia technology, as well as a constructive “Red vs. Blue” simulation. Its modular design accommodates the need for rapid updating and customization of content, which is especially effective in keeping forces current on the latest enemy activities, trends and tactics.

“What is especially unique about MCIT is that its content can be updated and modified quickly and cost-effectively and then redeployed fast,” added Kelly. “Also, because of the program’s modular construction and mobile nature, once these units are built, the entire training program inside can be swapped out to address a customer’s changing training needs in any part of the world. This is key to helping our warfighters adapt to an ever-changing threat. We believe this technology solution is highly adaptable to support similar training needs in other federal agencies as well as in the state and local municipal markets we serve.”

The design, development and configuration of the MCIT program are being coordinated by A-T Solutions, with manufacturing support from its subcontractor Isolated Ground, a Glendale, Calif.-based construction company that specializes in building film sets for commercials and Hollywood productions. Under separate contract, the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies is providing creative video and simulation content through the JIEDDO Joint Center of Excellence.

OSI Systems Receives Contracts Worth up to $12M from U.S. Domestic Nuclear Detection Office

Posted by on September 10, 2010 No comments

OSI Systems announced that its security division, Rapiscan Systems, has been awarded multiple Exploratory Research Program (ERP) contracts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO). By conducting transformational research and development initiatives, DNDO’s objective is to enlist thought leaders to advance the country’s nuclear materials detection capabilities. With its leading scientists and engineers, Rapiscan has secured contracts that are incrementally funded for a total obligated value of $2 million with additional options that could be exercised for a total value of up to $12 million.

All of the contracts focus specifically on detecting shielded nuclear material. Specifically, the company has been charged with developing a Liquefied Noble gas detector (in collaboration with Yale University), a threshold activation detector, a human portable system and an aircraft inspection solution.

Ajay Mehra, President of Rapiscan Systems, stated, “These contracts require the unique combination of our team’s experience in high-energy x-ray imaging, and nuclear, mechanical and electrical engineering. When successfully completed, these threat detection and verification technologies will provide additional inspection capabilities in protecting our nation from weapons of mass destruction being smuggled into the country. The innovative research at Rapiscan Laboratories, our R&D arm, continues to be at the forefront of combating some of this country’s most serious security threats.”

CPI Aerostructures Announces $17 Million Purchase Order from Boeing for A-10 Assemblies

Posted by on September 8, 2010 No comments

CPI Aerostructures announced that it has received a new purchase order valued at $17 million from the Boeing Defense, Space & Security unit of Boeing for 49 ship sets of assemblies for the A-10 aircraft. This represents a follow-on order for CPI Aero’s previously announced long-term requirements contract to support Boeing’s A-10 Wing Replacement Program (WRP). The A-10 WRP contract between Boeing and CPI Aero is worth up to approximately $81 million for the production of a variety of structural assemblies for up to 242 enhanced wings. To date, CPI Aero has received $33 million of orders for the A-10 WRP program.

Edward J. Fred, CPI Aero’s CEO and President, stated, “We are proud of our performance on this program and are excited about this follow-on order. As we continue to demonstrate our assembly capabilities to the Boeing A-10 Wing Replacement Team, we hope to be considered for additional opportunities for assemblies and systems integration on this platform.”

Mr. Fred continued, “With this purchase order release, total year-to-date contract awards are approximately $50.5 million, compared to a total of $12.1 million of new contract awards during the same period last year.”

CPI Aero is engaged in the contract production of structural and other aircraft parts for leading prime defense contractors, the U.S. Air Force, and other branches of the armed forces. In conjunction with its assembly operations, CPI Aero provides engineering, technical and program management services. Among the key programs that CPI Aero supplies are the E-2D Hawkeye surveillance plane, the UH-60 BLACK HAWK helicopter, the S-92 helicopter, the MH-60S mine countermeasure helicopter, the Gulfstream G650, C-5A Galaxy cargo jet, the T-38 Talon jet trainer, the A-10 Thunderbolt attack jet, and the E-3 Sentry AWACS jet.