MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 29, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received a contract from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to prepare the Advanced Information Management System (AIMS) for transition to major programs of record. Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will conduct risk reduction activities to ensure real time recording and information dissemination capabilities are aligned with current and emerging Air Force platform sensors. The contract is valued at $1.1 million.
The Advanced Information Management System, which serves as a storage resource broker, resulted from the integration of AFRL's Joint Battlespace Infosphere Reference Implementation information broker and Northrop Grumman's Advanced Information Architecture (AIA) fast recording and dissemination system.
The AIA-enhanced system provides warfighters with critical information on demand, through existing operational communications. Key to this capability is the real time recording, cataloging, and brokering of information at nodes across the battlespace. The AIMS capability enables warfighters to discover vast amounts of information through subscription and query services.
Northrop Grumman recently demonstrated the integration of AIMS into the U.S. Army's Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) baseline line-of-sight link, the Highband Networking Radio developed by Harris and BAE Systems.
"The AIMS capability ensures historic and newly acquired information from airborne battlefield sensors, edge users, and other cooperating information sources is provided directly to warfighters in airborne command centers, strike aircraft, surface ships and on the ground," said Richard Wassmuth, Northrop Grumman program manager. "Providing near real-time information is an essential capability for our warfighters across the battlespace. Today, this is done using existing communication systems while network enabled communications systems are being developed."
"This service-oriented architecture of airborne, sea and ground federated servers provides even single warfighters, operating in remote locations, access to battlefield information generated by a multitude of sensors within their mission area. This means of immediate information collection and distribution is a force multiplier during combat operations and essential for effective and timely battlefield coordination and situational awareness," Wassmuth concluded.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $32 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.