DARPA Awards SRI International $12M for Early Warning Chemical Threat Detector
SRI International has received a multi-year $11.6 million contract from the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop advanced sensors that can detect chemical threats in complex urban environments. SRI will develop its Localization and Characterization of Chemical Anomalies in Urban Settings (LOCCUS) under DARPA’s SIGMA+ program. LOCCUS will be designed for installation on vehicles that can move through a city to detect trace levels of precursor chemicals that are used to make chemical weapons and explosives. SRI’s subcontractors on the program include
Block MEMS, Signature Science and Two Six Labs. “LOCCUS will combine two orthogonal high-performance chemical detection technologies to surpass the sensing capabilities currently possible with a single sensing approach,” says Dr. Ashish Chaudhary, SRI senior program manager and principal investigator of LOCCUS. “This high-sensitivity, high-endurance detection capability will demonstrate scalability, longevity and cost-effectiveness.”
TSA Awarded IBM Potential $18M to Continue Support for Secure Flight Amid Protest
The Transportation Security Administration last fall has awarded IBM [IBM] an $18.3 million bridge task order for continued service and support to the Secure Flight terrorist watchlist for aviation security pending resolution of a protest of a follow-on award and subsequent issuance of a stop work order. IBM was the incumbent contractor but lost a recompete of the program to Accenture [ACN]. The Government Accountability Office in February upheld TSA’s decision to award the recompete to Accenture.
FEMA Awards LexisNexis $11M for Identity Verification and Authentication Services
The Federal Emergency Management Administration has awarded LexisNexis Special Services a potential five-year $10.6 million to provide identity verification & identity authentication services in support of the Recovery Technology Programs Division.
Smiths Detection to Provide Cargo Inspection Technology for Ghana Port
Smiths Detection says it won a contract from Meridian Port Services Limited to provide cargo inspection technology for the Tema Port expansion project in Ghana. The project will enable the port to handle the world’s largest container ships, improve cargo handling productivity and increase trade. Smiths says it is supplying of its HCVPZ60 scanning portals for the project. The portals can penetrate nine to 11.8 inches of steely while still maintaining a throughput of up to 100 trucks per hour. The company will also provide its iCMORE threat/target identification software to expose containers falsely declared as empty. Installations of the portals were completed in June.
Telephonics on DHS TacCom II Contract
Telephonics, part of Griffon Corp. [GFF], says it is an awardee under the Department of Homeland Security Tactical Communications Equipment and Services II (TacCom II) program and will provide a full-ray of communications products as well as ancillary support equipment, training, and life-cycle support. The company’s award was one of 45 contracts under the potential $3 billion program for tactical communications supplies and services to DHS components.