NGC wins new contract from DHS to develop biometric identification system

Northrop Grumman has secured a new $95m contract from 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.

Under the 42-month contract, Northrop Grumman will serve as systems developer and integrator.

Replacing the DHS’s older Automated Biometric Identity System (IDENT), HART will carry out multi-modal biometric identification of individuals to ensure national security as well as public safety.

Once fully implemented, the Northrop Grumman-developed HART will be equipped with multi-modal processing and matching technology that will use a combination of face, finger and iris biometrics to fulfil DHS accuracy requirements.

Furthermore, HART uses a scalable architecture that allows vast transaction volumes and new modalities.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems cyber and intelligence mission solutions division vice-president for global cyber solutions Bobby Lentz said: “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.”

Currently, DHS uses IDENT, developed in 1994, for storing and processing biometric and limited biographic information for national security, law enforcement, immigration and other functions.