Pentagon investing in real-time biometric infrastructure across combatant commands

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has initiated an ambitious effort to modernize and expand its biometrics and forensics capabilities through a five-year Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the Biometrics and Forensics Collection Capability (BFC2).

This PWS is managed by the Product Manager for Biometrics under the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S), and establishes a wide-ranging framework for procuring, fielding, sustaining, and upgrading a suite of biometric and forensic systems vital to national defense, intelligence, and operational security.

PEO IEW&S designs, engineers, acquires, deploys, and sustains enterprise biometric and forensic solutions in multiple operating environments enabling identity dominance on the battlefield and across DOD.

The document’s detail and scope suggest a recognition that technological superiority in biometrics and forensics is essential not only for traditional battlefield advantage but also for strategic security in an era of near-peer competition, asymmetric threats, and evolving information warfare.

This PWS also exemplifies the U.S. Army’s intent to move toward an integrated, agile, and resilient biometrics and forensics infrastructure. Its ambition is not limited to just system procurement. It also represents a strategic effort to entrench identity capabilities as a cornerstone of modern warfare, intelligence operations, and mission assurance.

At its core, the BFC2 program is designed to support identity dominance in military theaters and domestic operations by providing tactical and strategic tools for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of biometric and forensic data. The scope of the contract includes everything from hardware and software procurement to cybersecurity, help desk services, cloud infrastructure, software engineering, and surge support.

The PWS says the biometrics IT systems “capture, transmit, store, manage, share, retrieve, and display biometric data for timely identification or identity verification,” and that biometric forensics IT systems “assist with gathering and analyzing data specific to intelligence, detainee management, and forensics within Areas of Responsibility to provide near real time information to commanders and stakeholders. These systems are mission enablers for force protection, intelligence, physical and logical access control, identity management/credentialing, detention, and interception operations.”

The capabilities outlined in the PWS are to be executed through an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with operations across the continental United States and six major Combatant Commands (COCOMs) including AFRICOM, CENTCOM, EUCOM, INDOPACOM, NORTHCOM, and SOUTHCOM.

A centerpiece of the initiative is the modernization and replacement of legacy biometric systems. The Biometrics Automated Toolset-Army (BAT-A), which has served for over two decades, is being phased out in favor of the Next Generation Biometric Collection Capability (NXGBCC). The U.S. Army completed field tests of the $28.3 million NXGBCC hardware and software at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri last summer.

The newer system integrates modalities such as fingerprint, iris, facial, and voice recognition, and is designed for both mobile and static environments with intermittent connectivity. NXGBCC enables near real-time matching of collected biometric data against Department of Defense databases via its Ares Gateway Transaction Manager, ensuring that deployed forces receive timely identification of potential threats.

In addition to biometric tools, the PWS outlines significant forensic capabilities. This includes support for the Counterintelligence and Human Intelligence Equipment Program – Army, which will replace the Counterintelligence and Human Intelligence Automated Reporting and Collection System and provide cutting-edge intelligence tools, including SATCOM devices, biometric kits, and electronic surveillance technology.

Similarly, the Detainee Management Accounting and Reporting (DMAR) system is being introduced to replace the outdated Detainee Reporting System. DMAR is a web-based platform that is designed to manage the full lifecycle of detainee data—biometric, legal, medical, and intelligence, providing real-time accountability across U.S. military detention operations worldwide.

These systems are not technological upgrades, but rather a holistic rethinking of how biometric and forensic data support military missions. The PWS emphasizes interoperability with coalition partners, cloud-based data management, and a focus on rapid, secure data exchange. Systems like the Near Real Time Identity Operations platform, for example, are already deployed in CENTCOM’s Area of Responsibility and return match results in under three minutes to support identity verification in volatile environments.

The performance requirements in the contract are extensive and place a high premium on technical and logistical precision. Contractors are tasked with providing integrated support across all lifecycle stages, including fielding new equipment, providing operator and maintainer training, performing sustainment logistics, and managing data rights and software licensing. These activities are expected to be executed while maintaining robust security, accountability, and compliance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations and Army-specific policies.

Cloud services play a critical role in the envisioned architecture. Contractors must build and sustain cloud-hosted solutions that comply with strict DOD guidelines, including the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification and DOD Secure Cloud Computing Architecture standards. Data must reside on U.S.-based infrastructure, and the government retains ownership of all user data and system processes.

In addition, the contractor is responsible for implementing continuous cybersecurity support, including vulnerability assessments, audit logging, and full participation in the Risk Management Framework accreditation process.

A crucial element of success under this PWS lies in the implementation of a layered support model. The contractor is required to establish a three-tier help desk system for BFC2 components, ensuring field-level issues are quickly escalated and resolved with dedicated software engineering resources available to patch or upgrade systems as needed. Technical documentation, including software development plans, test procedures, and configuration management documentation, is mandated throughout the life of the contract to ensure transparency and replicability.

From a programmatic standpoint, the PWS mandates rigorous planning and oversight. Within 15 days of award, the contractor must conduct a post award Conference and present detailed plans for transition-in activities. Monthly cost reports and task order status reports are also required to maintain financial and operational transparency. Additionally, all software and hardware configurations must be documented in a centralized, government-accessible repository to ensure lifecycle traceability and compliance.

The personnel structure under the PWS reflects the contract’s global scale. Contractors must be prepared to deploy and sustain teams in operational theaters, some in austere or hazardous environments, and are responsible for managing the lifecycle of government furnished property, tracking logistics, and supporting local commands in coordination with the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  cloud services  |  Department of Defense  |  government purchasing  |  military  |  tender  |  U.S. Government  |  United States