Northrop Grumman delivers proof of concept for Australian automated biometric information system

Northrop Grumman has successfully delivered the trial proof of concept for an automated biometric information system (ABIS) for the Australian Department of Defence.

The system will be operated for a trial period to enable testing and refinement of analytical techniques for producing biometrically enabled intelligence and to help determine the requirements for a future biometrics information management solution.

“This delivery is a key step in the development of a multimodal biometric data repository for the Australian Department of Defence,” Samuel Abbate, vice president of defense enterprise solutions for Northrop Grumman’s Information Systems sector said. “It marks the start of a six-month trial during which biometric data will be collected, stored, matched and processed in accordance with existing legislative frameworks. ABIS will be an important element in Australian Defence Forces capability to ensure identity dominance and assurance in the theatre.”

This new ABIS system for the Australian Department of Defense is said to be modelled after the current ABIS used by the U.S. Department of Defense, which Northrop Grumman created in 2006. Last year, the company was awarded a follow-on task order for $141 million for the continued development of the U.S. system.

This is not the first time Northrop Grumman has done business in the land down under. The company has been supporting a variety of both defense and civil programs in the country for over two decades. Recently, Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract to build a cyber test range for the University of South Wales and Canberra campus at the Australian Defence Force Academy. In September, the company completed the acquisition of M5 Network Security, an Australia-based provider of cyber security and secure mobile communications.

Article Topics

ABIS  |  authentication  |  biometrics  |  border control  |  government purchasing  |  homeland security  |  identification  |  security