Weekly GEOINT Community News

DARPA to Launch UAVs from C-130

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will soon test a program to launch and recover small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an Air Force C-130, according to Defense Systems. The program, called Gremlins, will deploy a group of small UAVs carrying a 60-pound sensor payload up to 300 nautical miles. The drones perform tasks such as testing enemy air defenses and conducting ISR missions. A key concept of the program is to extend the mission range of aircraft, and also to allow manned crews to operate at safer distances.

NGA Selects Esri for eNGAge Program

Esri announced the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has selected Esri to participate in the agency’s eNGAge program. The initiative builds the agency’s internal knowledge and skills by placing NGA employees in temporary positions with industry and academic partners as well as embedding experts from external institutions in NGA teams.

The NGA employees who work with Esri will have the opportunity to generate imagery and data using Esri spatial analytics products, including the Living Atlas of the World, an authoritative and comprehensive collection of high-quality online geographic information.

Booz Allen to Support NGA GEOINT Learning System

Booz Allen Hamilton was awarded a five-year, $86 million contract from NGA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence College to manage a new program that will offer learning systems designed to help address the country’s GEOINT mission requirements. Booz Allen will provide curriculum and learning content along with performance management, registrar services, learning outreach, and faculty development services to support the global geospatial workforce as part of the Learning Management and Advancement Program.

Concurrent Technologies Awarded NGA AI Research Contract

NGA awarded Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) a $498,000 contract to research artificial intelligence automation capabilities under the agency’s Boosting Innovative GEOINT (BIG) program. Under this contract, CTC will further the state of knowledge in virtual assistants by evolving from a singular user-centric orientation to a viewpoint of the user within an interdependent network of humans and cognitive machines. The goal is to enable task automation and management to be cloud-wide rather than confined within a traditional desktop or server architecture.

NGA Awards Aeronautical Contract to Hilton Software

Hilton Software was awarded a contract by NGA to provide multi-platform worldwide mobile aeronautical solutions. The single-award, indefinite-delivery requirements contract has a total anticipated performance period of five years and a total contract value of up to $17 million.

Vencore Labs to Develop Cellular Technology for DoD

Vencore’s research arm, Vencore Labs, Inc., was awarded a contract on the Cellular Range Telemetry Network (CeRTN) program supporting the Department of Defense (DoD). The three-year contract has a total value of $6 million. Under CeRTN, Vencore Labs, formerly known as Applied Communication Sciences, will develop a prototype system that leverages commercial cellular technology for Aeronautical Mobile Telemetry (AMT) applications at DoD Major Range and Test Facility Bases. The Vencore Labs CeRTN system will provide robust cellular coverage for AMT using commercial-off-the-shelf cellular technology devices.

Peer Intel

PlanetRisk appointed Dr. Lisa Costa as vice president of intelligence and chief scientist, a newly created position at the company. Costa has more than 30 years of experience in the Intelligence Community in field investigations and technology research and development.