DHS awards communications contract to Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman looks beyond DOD

The Homeland Security Department has awarded Northrop Grumman an engineering contract to help improve first responder communications.

Financial terms of the contract were not released.

According to a company statement, Northrop Grumman's Information Technology sector will work with DHS to develop five-year wireless communications requirements for the public safety community. This assistance will help refine the quantitative requirements in the Public Safety Statement of Requirements for Communications and Interoperability.

“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, in a statement.

The Public Safety Five-Year Wireless Communications Requirements project will be performed for DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate Office of Interoperability and Compatibility’s SAFECOM program. The program supports improved public safety communications and interoperability through research and development in addition to standards and architecture initiatives.

In addition, Northrop Grumman will focus on requirements for mission-critical voice communications and jurisdictional-area networks.

Northrop Grumman's partner on the DHS contract is Catalyst Communications Technologies of Forest, Va., which specializes in voice-over-IP-based solutions for government and public safety customers.