TRW to work on Army logistics

TRW Inc. announced Wednesday that it has won a six-year contract potentially worth $400 million to develop a Web-based electronic logistics system for the Army.

The system will be used to provide inventory management and fleet management of the Army's tactical logistics operations. The contract is valued at $48 million, but if all options are exercised, it could be worth $400 million.

The Global Combat Support System-Army/Tactical (GCSS-A/T) initiative eventually will tie together the Army's retail and wholesale logistics. Soldiers will thus be able to accurately track the progress of an order, increasing planning efficiency and eliminating redundancies.

The new browser-based system will replace the Army's Standard Army Management Information Systems, a suite of systems that provides logistics support for maintenance, supply, property accountability, ammunition and readiness management.

TRW intends to link GCSS-A/T to other information systems it is developing for the Army. TRW is the prime contractor on two related Army programs, one that provides command and control for mission-critical logistics support and another that provides battlefield situational awareness via a digital, wireless Tactical Internet.

"By coordinating our efforts in GCSS-A/T with our other programs, we expect to create a synergy that will dramatically improve Army logistics," said Terry Machleit, TRW's director of battlefield command and control systems.