Trident Systems has won a $49.5 million contract from the U.S. Navy to run the small UAS component of the Special Surveillance Programme (SSP) to detect and target terrorist forces engaged in planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs), sabotage, and attacking U.S. and allied military bases.
The contract is to develop, build, and procure small UAS technology, small UAS control stations, sensors, and other support for the Special Surveillance Programme as it relates to small UAS. Awarding this phase-3 Small Business Innovation Research contract are officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, N.J.
The Navy is asking Trident Systems to develop and adapt technologies to improve the performance of small UAS for persistent surveillance in support of the Special Surveillance Programme, which consists of advanced surveillance sensors mounted to unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles, systems to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs), communication relay systems unmanned vehicle ground-control stations, and remote operating posts to support counter-terrorism operations.
Collectively, these technologies will use acoustic, infrared, visible-light, magnetic, and other special sensors to detect and target insurgent ground movements and other enemy activities. The Special Surveillance Programme will support not only the Navy, but also the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense, Special Operations Command, and other government agencies.
Trident Systems will develop technologies to optimize the collective performance of small unmanned aerial vehicles for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, as part of the overall Special Surveillance Programme.
The company will provide engineering support for the Special Surveillance Programme small UAS component, as well as develop and procure innovative sensor for small UAS involved in the programme. Trident engineers also will perform rapid prototyping of combinations of small UAS and sophisticated sensors, perform systems analysis to determine their effectiveness in counter-terrorism and counter-IED operations.
Trident Systems experts will do the work in Fairfax, Va., and in Afghanistan, and should be finished by February 2013. For more information contact the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, at www.navair.navy.mil.