Northrop wins $141 million follow-on contract for DOD biometric system

Published 26 May 2011

Today, defense giant Northrop Grumman announced that it was awarded a $141 million follow-on task order to continue working with the Department of Defense (DOD) on its biometric identification system for military threats; under the contract, Northrop will continue work on the DOD’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which functions as the centralized database that collects facial, fingerprint, iris, and palm biometric records on individuals that the Department of Defense has identified as persons of interest

Today, defense giant Northrop Grumman announced that it was awarded a $141 million follow-on task order to continue working with the Department of Defense (DOD) on its biometric identification system for military threats.

Under the contract, Northrop will continue work on the DOD’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which provides the military with reliable and timely identification of individuals who are potential threats to the United States.

ABIS functions as the centralized database that collects facial, fingerprint, iris, and palm biometric records on individuals that the Department of Defense has identified as persons of interest.

Northrop will develop software, provide systems engineering,conduct infrastructure and performance engineering, and support for modeling and simulation.

In addition, Northrop will be the lead contractor responsible for program management, systems engineering, software development, integration, training, disaster recovery, case management, system sustainment, scalability and interoperability.

In a statement, Alan Leckenby, the director of identity and business solutions for Northrop Grumman’s Information Systems sector, said, “Northrop Grumman’s broad expertise developing and fielding advanced biometrics applications across defense, civilian and law enforcement environments will be a critical asset to the Defense Department as it maintains its position as a leader and early adopter of multi-modal biometric technologies.”

Leckenby added, “Through our valued and long-standing partnership on this program, we look forward to providing our military personnel with additional mission essential capabilities for this important Defense Department system.”

Northrop was first awarded the contract to help develop ABIS in 2006 and is working in conjunction with several other contractors including Booz Allen Hamilton, Six3 Systems, and SRA International.