Army fast tracks biometric intell lab

The Army intends to establish, and establish in a hurry, a Biometrically Enabled Intelligence System Integration Lab and is seeking companies to support the project starting July 29.

The Army’s Communications Electronics Research and Development Engineering Center (CERDEC) Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD) wants to hear from companies that can research, develop, and stand up a software framework and infrastructure for the system integration lab, according to the a new sources sought notice. The directorate also needs help developing methods and standards of integration for biometric technologies for basic processing capabilities.

The Army plans to make the systems integration lab a virtual lab composed of software modules, interfaces, and data repositories. Those parts do not currently exist.

The current biometric architecture comes from the Joint Urgent Operational Need Statements (JUONS). Those statements arrive at the Defense Department’s branches and agencies from the field and through poor communications channels.

Also, as warfare has evolved from force-to-force action to fighting small terrorist groups that blend into the general population, biometrics and forensics, such as fingerprint, facial, and iris recognition, are the solution to adjust to the new world of war.

A biometrically enabled intelligence systems integration lab will help DOD officials and other agencies improve biometric intelligence and ensure their biometric architectures meet technical and operational requirements and not relying on proprietary technology.

The Army plans to move quickly. Companies and subcontractors must be fully staffed and ready to work July 29.

The Army released its sources sought notice July 9. Responses from due by July 14.