Northrop Grumman awarded contract for Next-Generation Biometric Identification system.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a $95 million contract by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) to develop increments one and two of the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) system. Northrop Grumman will serve as systems developer and integrator for this 42-month effort.

(Picture source: Northrop Grumman)

HART is the organization’s next-generation recognition program, replacing the Automated Biometric Identity System (IDENT) built in the 1990s. HART is a more robust system than its predecessor and when fully implemented will perform multi-modal biometric identification of individuals to enable both national security and public safety as well as benefits and services. Supporting DHS and its mission partners, HART will help the government keep pace with the growing sophistication of threats to our homeland.

“Northrop Grumman is proud to support the DHS in taking this critical biometric identity technology to the next level,” said Bobby Lentz, vice president, global cyber solutions, cyber and intelligence mission solutions division, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. “As threats continue to evolve, HART will offer a more accurate, robust way to identify adversaries in a secure, affordable manner that scales to future needs and ensures interagency data sharing. We’re applying advanced, proven technologies to deliver a system that performs well into the future and is poised to grow to meet tomorrow’s homeland security needs.”

When fully implemented, the Northrop Grumman-developed HART will feature multi-modal processing and matching technology that uses a combination of face, finger and iris biometrics meeting DHS accuracy requirements. A keen focus on safeguarding personally identifiable information as well as ensuring the critical sharing of data across interagency partners underpins the technology.

Using HART’s scalable architecture, the technology will allow for vastly increased transaction volumes, new modalities and mission growth for the nation’s largest biometric system.

IDENT, originally developed in 1994, is currently the DHS-wide system for the storage and processing of biometric and limited biographic information for DHS national security, law enforcement, immigration, intelligence and other DHS mission-related functions.

The Office of Biometric Identity Management supports the Department of Homeland Security's responsibility to protect the nation by providing biometric identification services that help federal, state and local government decision makers accurately identify the people they encounter and determine whether those people pose a risk to the United States.