Serco Protests $889M DHS Award to USIS
Serco Inc. has protested a potential $888.7 million contract that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) awarded to U.S. Investigations Services (USIS) last month to help support the agency’s work with applicants seeking immigration benefits. The protest was filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and is scheduled to be decided on by Aug. 6. USCIS is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. Under the contract USCIS seeks help at 135 Application Support Center (ASC) locations around the U.S. and six ports of entry. Support will include personnel management, customer identity verification consisting of fingerprint capture at field offices to verify that a person’s biometrics are the same as those captured earlier at an ASC, as well as other services such a facilities leasing and maintenance, procurement of consumable supplies, general office equipment, quality and training programs and more. Serco Inc. is the U.S.-based division of Britain’s Serco Group. The company currently has a contract with USCIS to provide record processing for the adjudication of immigration benefits. The company has supported USCIS’ National Benefits Center for the past 10 years. In its original synopsis USCIS said it expected to award two contracts for the ASC support work but reserved the right to award a single contract. The award to USIS has a base year and four one-year options. USIS is part of Altegrity.
NIITEK Nabs Potential $579M Award for Ground Penetrating Radar
NIITEK, Inc., a U.S.-based division of Britain’s Chemring Group, has received a potential $579 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract from the Army to supply the Ground Penetrating Radar Husky Mounted Detection System (HMDS). The initial order is for $161 million. The order provides the Army with spares ad replacement systems to replenish systems used in theater and will serve future system requirements for the Army, Marine Corps and potential Foreign Military Sales. The system is mounted on manned, blast resistant vehicles to quickly discover anti-vehicular landmines and other explosive hazards on main supply routes and other open areas. “This award confirms our proven track record for developing superior and market leading detection systems,” says David Price, CEO of Chemring.
Coast Guard Awards GD $176M for Rescue 21 Support
General Dynamics [GD] has received a potential four-year, $176 million contract from the Coast Guard to provide system maintenance and related management services to keep the service’s Rescue 21 search and rescue communications system operational and technically current. The system, developed and deployed by GD, comprises 232 fixed towers and related facilities that allow the Coast Guard to monitor the nation’s coastline and inland waterways.
Smiths Detection Wins $27M Army Order for Chemical Detectors
The Army has awarded Smiths Detection a $27 million contract to acquire the company’s M4A1 Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) under the Defense Department’s JCAD program. “This latest order for our state-of-the-art detectors establishes the JCAD program as by far the most important in the history of Smiths Detection,” says Mal Maginnis, the company’s president. The detector units can be strapped to a soldier’s belt and protect troops by constantly sampling the air for the presence of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.
Implant Gets $6M Order from India; Orders from Customers in U.S., Asia
Implant Sciences [IMSC] has signed an amendment with India to extend and complete a contract for the sale of $6 million worth of its Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 explosives trace detectors. Under the amended contract, India is to purchase $6 million of the handheld detectors and related support in the coming nine months. The systems will be used by the Indian Ministry of Defense in force protection and public safety applications. Separately, the company says it has sold additional units of its QS-H150 to customers in the U.S., Singapore and Indonesia. The company says that the majority of the systems will be used for corporate security. One customer is an undisclosed U.S. company that is purchasing the QS-H150 to protect its personnel and assets in the wake of bomb threats at one of its facilities. In Southeast Asia the devices will be used for security at a liquefied natural gas facility.