QinetiQ to continue research on Army air- and missile-defense network-centric computer designs

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala., 12 June 2011. Researchers at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) at Redstone, Arsenal, Ala., say they intend to award a potential $40 million five-year contract to QinetiQ North America in Huntsville, Ala., to develop and evaluate new ground-based missile- and air-defense systems architectures in the Architecture Characterization Program (A2CP).AMRDEC officials announced their decision to award the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to QinetiQ (LSE:QQ) Friday in a justification and approval declaration. The A2CP acquisition is a crucial component of AMRDEC Software Engineering Directorate (AMRDEC SED) support for Army air- and missile-defense programs, Army officials say.Army officials are using the A2CP program to improve network-centric battle management command and control (BMC2) capability to manage sensor and shooter information processing and fast networking among U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and allied military forces. The A2CP program essentially is an extension of an Air, Space, and Missile Defense (ASMD) Architecture Analysis Program (A3P) contract, awarded in 2004 to Elmco Inc. in Huntsville, Ala.

Since the A3P contract was awarded, Elmco Corp. was acquired by Westar Aerospace & Defense Group Inc. in St. Louis, which subsequently was acquired by QinetiQ North America. The Army thus far has spent about $20 million on the A3P contract, and QinetiQ -- through its acquisitions -- has more than five years of experience on the program.

AMRDEC officials are hiring QinetiQ for engineering expertise to develop advanced warfighting concepts using integrated networking and fire-control.

Architectures to be involved in the current program include the Surface-Launched Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) and other air- and missile-defense technology to defend against cruise missiles; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft; rockets, mortars, and artillery shells; short-, medium, intermediate, and intercontinental-range ballistic missiles, and other ground-attack weapons.

Army researchers say QinetiQ is the only company qualified to provide these kinds of services, based on the company's unique and immediately-available architecture expertise, as well as the company's domain knowledge of air- and missile-defense system components such as SLAMRAAM, Army officials say.

AMRDEC SED wants to use existing knowledge and tools to analyze different air- and missile-defense systems designs. Among the QinetiQ's relevant tools are the Distributed Integrated Air and Missile Defense Simulator, better-known as DIAMDS; Real-Time DIAMDS; the Intelligence Situational Awareness Tool (ISAT); Tactical Data Generator (TDG); Mission Rehearsal Tool (MRT); Trajectory Design Tool (TDT); the Route Planning Tool (RPT); Data Analysis and Reduction Tool (DART); and the ViewPoint animation and visualization tool.

For more information contact QinetiQ North America online at www.qinetiq-na.com, or the Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center at www.redstone.army.mil/amrdec.