The SIGNAL Blog

Alion Science and Technology has received a $14 million contract, Modeling and Simulation Technical and Operational Reinforcement, to provide guidance and technical support to the U.S. Army III Corps Battle Command Training Branch at Fort Hood, Texas. Alion will develop a digital battle command system, digital exercise architectures and training plans.

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a three-year, $5 million contract to Decision/Analysis Partners LLC, which will provide analytic support to the Coast Guard's Logistics Transformation Program Integration Office by developing and managing logistics requirements and assessing risks and other services aimed at improving logistics operations.

The U.S. Air Force is modifying a fixed price incentive firm contract with Northrup Grumman Systems Corporation, Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems. The contract, not to exceed $324,600,000, will provide two RQ-4B Block 301 Global Hawk air vehicles, three RQ-4B Block 40 air vehicles with MP-RTIP sensor, one launch and recovery element with associated equipment, an option for four Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite sensor payloads, and other stipulations. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

From July's SIGNAL Today, some interesting quotes from the July issue of SIGNAL Magazine.

"Solving IEDs in some ways will be as difficult as solving the problem of bullets. Bullets have been in use for centuries, and we still have not completely solved that [weapon] as a wartime threat."-Dr. Robert L. Keesee, deputy director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO),
in Improvised Explosive Devices a Multifaceted Threat

"There are already lots of networks out there. What you need to do is connect the ones that exist."-David Aylward, director, ComCare Alliance, in First Responders, Hospitals Need More Bandwidth

"This is tough work. But it is relevant, it is vital, and most importantly, it is what we need to do to make a positive, lasting difference for the people of Iraq."-Col. Karlton Johnson, USAF, J-6, Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I), in Dependable Communications Systems Boost Iraqi Systems

Also from SIGNAL Today this month, our featured image of the month:

U.S. Army Pfc. Aaron Livas, from Argyle, Wis., assigned to Team Iraqi Security Forces, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La., provides security at a possible improvised explosive device site in Baghdad.