US Army awards $249 million to Leidos for global biometric facility access

The US Army awarded a six-year, $249 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to Reston, Virginia-based Leidos for the next generation of the Automated Installation Entry (AIE) system to further strengthen access control at 92 Army and joint-service installations around the world.

The award was made by the Army Contract Command for the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, and provides the full range of fielding support to ensure that the system meets the Army’s requirements.

Began in 2009, the AIE is currently employed at Army installations within the United States to execute security at installation perimeter entry points. The Army explained that “it vets potential visitors against various national and local databases to determine whether an individual will be permitted access.”

The AIE system is critical for the identification and denial of criminals, potential insider threats, and terrorists attempting to access military installations and facilities, according to the US Army. It uses a combination of biographic and biometric data, including Common Access Cards, military IDs, and visitor passes, along with fingerprints and personal identification numbers for authentication.

AIE can “be calibrated to account for changes in force protection conditions” and “can also conduct facial recognition, leveraging advancements in biometrics to accurately identify personnel to determine access eligibility.”

Typically, the AIE system is operated by Army security guards or military police who may also conduct visual inspections of vehicles when determining whether an individual will be granted access.

The system is designed to interface with law enforcement databases, enabling near real-time updates to authentication requirements based on changing security conditions. Under the contract, Leidos will deploy solutions to expedite access control, aiming to provide seamless pedestrian and vehicle throughput while maintaining high-security standards.

“These systems provide robust electronic physical access control for Army installations across the United States, while also enabling vehicle throughput to avoid traffic at installation gates,” said Lareina Adams, project manager for terrestrial sensors. “With the current contract award, we will continue to conduct fieldings within the United States, as well as reaching beyond to our Pacific Command.”

The AIE program is managed by Project Manager Terrestrial Sensors, which is subordinate to the product management office for product manager force protection systems.

“We are proud to be the Army’s solution of choice for access control and security for all Army installations worldwide,” said Mike Diggins, Leidos senior vice president for homeland and force protection solutions. “Our use of cloud technology and biometrics applications is intended to enable secure, frictionless pedestrian and vehicle throughput at military access control points.”

The program began to be developed in 2009 when the Army and BAE Systems began developing a unique security system to transform military installation entry operations.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  criminal ID  |  facial recognition  |  Leidos  |  military  |  U.S. Army