By Courtney E. Howard

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md., is investing $16 million over two years to build a Border Enforcement Solutions Center (BESC) in support of SBInet, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) multiyear plan to secure America’s borders.

The BESC will include a demonstration center and land-border testbed designed to enable DHS and industry partners to test and evaluate new border-security technology and solutions throughout the life of the SBInet program.

The BESC also will complement Lockheed Martin’s Open Business Model, which facilitates the addition of proven innovations from small businesses and suppliers throughout the program’s duration.

“This investment demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s commitment to help our nation secure its borders,” says Bob Stevens, chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin. “Through our SBInet partnership, we would provide an enduring national resource for government, industry, and academia to evaluate and test emerging technologies to combat emerging threats.”

“This center will allow us to leverage innovations from small businesses; view new technology, ideas, and processes; and implement solutions when proven,” notes Jay Dragone, vice president, Homeland Security Programs at Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin, in the development of its SBInet solution, has teamed with eight companies: Accenture Ltd. of Hamilton, Bermuda; Advanced Technology Systems (ATS) in McLean, Va.; HDR of Omaha, Neb.; Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Fla.; High Performance Technologies Inc. (HPTi) in Reston, Va.; Parsons Corp. of Pasadena, Calif.; Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) in San Diego; and Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services (STTAS) in Miami.

Lockheed Martin is identifying potential sites for the BESC and, if selected to deliver the SBInet solution, would announce the site selection shortly after contract award.