Raytheon unit to advise Army on communications processes

A Raytheon unit will help the Army develop an alliance of researchers to study communication, information and social networks under a new $81 million contract awarded by the Army Research Laboratory.

Under the five-year contract, BBN Technologies will conduct research to identify what diverse kinds of networks have in common. Called the ARL Network Science Collaborative Technology Alliance, the consortium will examine communication, information, and social and cognitive networks.

BBN Technologies will lead the technology consortium, which will include more than 30 university and industrial labs, from an Interdisciplinary Research Center to be established at the Raytheon BBN Technologies headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. Many researchers from across the consortium will use the facility as their base, while other members will continue to work from their home campuses.

In addition to conducting pure research in network science, the research center will be responsible for transitioning new technologies to the Defense Department.

Raytheon, of Waltham, Mass., ranks No. 5 on Washington Technology’s 2009 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.