HOMELAND SECURITY
23 Jan 09. Bombardier Aerospace announced that Malaysia’s coast guard agency, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), has taken delivery of the first of two Bombardier 415MP amphibious aircraft ordered by the Malaysian government in June 2008. The Malaysian government is the launch customer in Asia for the specialized Bombardier 415MP aircraft. (Source: ASD Network)
26 Jan 09. The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) has ordered two AW139 medium twin engine helicopters. These aircraft will be used to perform fire fighting, search and rescue, land reconnaissance and general support duties. The contract also includes conversion training for aircrew and maintenance staff which will be undertaken prior to delivery of the aircraft in the first half of 2010.
27 Jan 09. The U.S. Army Biometrics Task Force has selected Raytheon Company to provide biometric-related services and support to enhance the ability of the Department of Defense infrastructure, architecture and standard for biometric defense capabilities. The Biometrics Operations and Support Services – Unrestricted (BOSS-U) award is an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract for five years, with a three-year base period and two one-year option periods. The maximum cumulative dollar ceiling value of all contracts in this multiple award procurement is $497m.
27 Jan 09. Northrop Grumman Corporation is one of 12 companies selected for the Biometrics Operations and Support Services Unrestricted (BOSS-U) contract by the U.S. Army. BOSS-U provides a range of technical services and solutions to fulfill the Army’s Biometrics Task Force’s biometrics services needs. The BOSS-U program is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a maximum ceiling value of $497m available for task order awards. Work on the contract will be conducted over a three-year base period and two one-year option periods.
29 Jan 09. Cobham announced its second contract win of the week with news of an R&D project to develop the National Cyber Range for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The contract is worth $8.6m and has been awarded to Cobham’s SPARTA division. DARPA’s National Cyber Range programme is part of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, a government-wide project to improve the nation’s defences against electronic attack.
29 Jan 09. The UK’s emergency services are set to benefit from a £6 million university/ industry partnership developing a range of technologies to improve their ability to work together and safety during major incidents or disasters. Jointly funded by BAE Systems and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the five-year ALADDIN programme (Autonomous Learning Agents for Decentralised Data and Information Networks) involves scientists from BAE Systems and the universities of Southampton, Oxford, Bristol and Imperial College, London. They are developing techniques and technology to overcome the challenges facing different agencies involved in an emergency response. Using different technologies, from computer modeling to automated robots, the ALADDIN team has looked at how it can improve the understanding of constantly changing scenarios, where information is rapidly changing and often conflicting, to ensure a more effective response and improve the safety of men and women working in the ‘danger zone.’