Northrop to install tracking system for Immigration

Northrop Grumman Corp. will build and deploy a system for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that will track the location of detainees under a one-year, $14 million contract.

Under the contract, the company will provide the technology infrastructure to help the agency locate and track detainees, reserve bed space for them at facilities, and coordinate transportation for them, company officials said. The company also will integrate the new system with various other Homeland Security Department systems.

The Los Angeles-based contractor will use a commercial, off-the-shelf approach that will give agency personnel a Web portal through which they can access the system. The project team includes nine subcontractors.

During the initial phase of the project, Northrop Grumman will roll out a wireless network infrastructure at detention facilities and also deploy a central reservation feature.

The contract might be worth as much as $44.3 million over four years, if all options are used, company officials said.

Northrop Grumman ranks No. 3 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.