MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 12, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a contract to provide support engineering to help improve first responder communications.
Northrop Grumman's Information Technology (IT) sector will assist the DHS in developing five-year wireless communications requirements for the public safety community. This assistance will inform the effort to refine the quantitative requirements of the public safety community as articulated in the Public Safety Statement of Requirements (SoR) for Communications and Interoperability, Volume II, Version 1.0. This document provides detailed quality of service methods of measurement for the applications and services identified in Volume I of the Public Safety SoR. In addition, SoR Volume II provides network parameters that specify the minimum acceptable performance of public safety communications systems carrying these applications and services.
"These requirements will help ensure interoperable communications between public safety agencies at all levels of government in the event of major emergencies," said Wood Parker, president of Northrop Grumman IT's Intelligence group. "Northrop Grumman has a long history in mission critical communications, and our recent leadership and experience in city-wide mobile broadband data networks in cities such as Corpus Christi make us an excellent fit to help our DHS customer."
This work under the "Public Safety Five Year Wireless Communications Requirements" Project, will be performed on behalf of the DHS Directorate of Science and Technology Office of Interoperability and Compatibility's (OIC) SAFECOM program. This program supports improved public safety communications and interoperability through execution of research and development as well as standards and architecture initiatives. The OIC serves to strengthen and integrate interoperability efforts that improve local, tribal, state and federal public safety preparedness and response.
Additionally, as part of this contract, Northrop Grumman will be specifically focused on requirements for mission-critical voice communications and jurisdictional area networks.
Northrop Grumman's teammate on this contract is Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc., Forest, Va. Catalyst Communications specializes in voice over Internet protocol-based interoperability solutions for government and public safety customers.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With more than 120,000 employees, and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.