Maritime and Ports

Reliability continues to plague TWIC
Lockheed wins a major $70 million contract, but low bidding may hide quality issues; “bait and switch” says one critic; cards said to suffer 50 percent error rates with unacceptable processing times; flimsy card stock at issue
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Update: Littoral failure upsets Lockheed subcontractors
Nineteen companies to be affected by production stoppage, including five in the D.C. area alone; Argon ST, BAE Systems, EADS, Angle, and Terma face the future with gloom; fortunately, only one ship out of four is effected
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Littoral combat ship comes under heavy budgetary fire
Lockheed Martin’s effort has increased in cost 87 percent, while General Dynamics sees soaring costs as well; Navy officials decide on a temporary halt while a review gets under way
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Coast Guard ready for maritime communications solicitations
International automatic identification system equipment will be used to form an overarching view of maritime traffic within or near the U.S.; Phase two contracting set to begin for reception and communications set-up; project worth a total of $165 million
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Terrorism threat sparks a labor market for underwater detectives
Grant from DHS launches a minor in underwater crime scene investigation at Florida State University; SCUBA diving, rules of evidence, among the coursework in this unusual discipline; investigations move beyond mere recovery of bodies
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Hafmynd sells two GAVIA AUVs to undisclosed militaries
Icelandic firm a leader — ask Frost and Sullivan — in autonomous underwater vehicles; U.S. Navy SPAWAR just one previous customer for this disruptive technology; vehicle’s sensor flexibility a major selling point
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Coast Guard suggests driver's licenses for boaters
Program would help authorities keep track of small boats; idea challenged by state planners already upset by REAL-ID Act; uniformity of IDs could lead to uniformity of sporting laws; Coast Guard concerned about smuggling, critical infrastructure
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Coast Guard struggles with maritime surveillance program
Port of Miami once again provides a sorry case study; Maritime Domain Awareness program confuses waves for boats; Coast Guard stops following the radar after too many problems; Automated Identification System a cause for criticism
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CBP chief calls for a change in container security priorities
Ralph Basham to insist on technologies that detect intrusions from all parts of the box, not just the door; policy a departure from predecessor’s; CBP has asked SAIC and L-3 to come up with a solution, but delivery is still pending
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DHS increases TWIC issuance fees
Ballooning card production costs force a $10 increase in initial charges, with a $24 increase for replacements; TWIC program looks to manage finances while it sorts out technological challenges
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SIS ins $24 million contract for USV sensors
Spatial Integrated Systems to provide 3D imaging technology for the Navy’s Autonomous Maritime Navigation Program; Technology Solutions joins various universities to lend a hand
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New vortex generators to help UUVs dock
Squid and octopi inspire Colorado researchers to develop a more effective design for unmanned underwater vehicles; no need to trade litheness for docking stability; enhanced craft can even parallel park
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NY/NJ Port Authority offers national port security recommendations
Suggestions include minimum mandatory cargo inspection standards, a federal port and cargo policy director, and a port security user fee to offset security costs
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Dayton positions itself as a sensor center
Ohio’s Third Frontier Commission awards $28 million for the development of a sensor technology research center; business partners include Woolpert, General Dynamics, UES, YSI, and L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics
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RemoteReality receives $7.3 million in VC funding
Battelle Ventures and Chart Venture partners pick up the tab; company a DoD favorite for its 360-degree video analytics technology; USS Cole and USS Greenville incidents drive demand for on-board surveillance and monitoring
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