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US Army awards advanced sensor technologies and technology transition agreement to BAE SYSTEMS team

25 Jul 2001

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has awarded a $61 million co-operative agreement to a team led by BAE Systems to research advanced sensor technologies. The company's Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS) business unit, based in Nashua, New Hampshire, will lead the Advanced Sensors Collaborative Technology Alliance (ASCTA), a consortium of ten universities and five industrial partners that will work in collaboration with the ARL.

IEWS has also been awarded a $60 million Technology Transition Time and Material contract, which will permit the Army to quickly capitalise on technology developed under the ASCTA effort.

The ASCTA will be managed under a "Federated Laboratory" concept, which partners scientists from the ARL with their counterparts from academia and industry. The Fed Lab approach also brings together a unique and complementary set of scientists and researchers while providing access to premier world class facilities.

"The ASCTA will draw from leading public and private sector expertise to provide basic research in micro-sensors, electro-optic smart sensors, and advanced RF concepts," said Aaron Penkacik, IEWS' chief technology officer. "The insertion of new and emerging technologies is critically important to programmes such as the Army's Future Combat System, and we're proud the Army chose us to continue its efforts." IEWS recently completed the Advanced Sensor, and Advanced Telecommunications and Information Distribution Consortiums -- another Fed Labs program awarded in 1996.

A major focal point of the ASCTA effort will be to develop an effective and streamlined technology transition process. ASCTA members include: the University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of New Mexico, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Clark Atlanta University, University of Mississippi, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, DRS, Quantum Magnetics, and General Dynamics Robotics Systems. The ASCTA also offers a significant opportunity for educational advancement and rotational assignments - further enhancing the collaborative research environment. The programme will run for five years with a three-year option.