ABERDEEN,
MD., August 2016 – Bravura Information
Technology Systems, Inc. will ensure operations, maintenance and sustainment of
the U.S. Army’s aerostats under a new program called Persistent Surveillance
Systems – Tethered (PSS-T). This $305.7 million U.S. Army contract combines the
capabilities of the Persistent
Threat Detection System (PTDS) and the Persistent Ground Surveillance System
(PGSS), which were fielded to support joint urgent operational needs.
“These
aerostats provide crucial information and protection for our men and women in
uniform who serve in remote and dangerous locations,” said Bravura CEO Claudine
Adams. “We are thrilled that our dedicated team will support these key programs
and continue the important legacy of aerostat innovation”.
To help protect troops in the field, the U.S. Army has placed
an increased emphasis on providing more and better intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance (ISR). Persistent surveillance and threat detection systems have
proven especially effective in identifying improvised explosive devices,
tracking insurgent movements and monitoring other suspicious activity.
PSS-T provides warfighters
with an effective ISR capability, support to force protection and platforms to
extend communications networks beyond line of sight. Filled with helium and
attached to mobile mooring systems by high-strength tethers, PSS-T large and
medium aerostats have scalable capabilities providing around the clock
surveillance of broad areas for weeks.
Bravura
is partnering with Lockheed Martin and TCOM to help meet its efforts to support
combatant commanders and joint agency requirements. Each company’s innovative
capabilities will be instrumental in technical consolidation and operational
streamlining for the new program.
Lockheed
Martin, the PSS-T Large developer, delivered its first lighter-than-air
(LTA)-based persistent ISR systems to the U.S. Navy more than 75 years ago and
has produced more than 300 airships and thousands of aerostats in support of
military operations world-wide.
“We
are pleased to partner with Bravura to extend our legacy of lighter-than-air
innovation, engineering and production,” said Paula Hartley, vice president,
Advanced Product Solutions, Lockheed Martin. “PTDS has performed exceptionally
in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2004 and we are looking forward to many more
years of supporting our customers’ needs for affordable, reliable aerostat
systems”.
TCOM,
with operations in over 12 countries, is the PSS-T Medium developer and a global
authority in airborne persistent surveillance solutions. For over 40 years,
TCOM innovations have defined the LTA industry, and its pioneering achievements
continue to revolutionize the design, manufacture and deployment of LTA
systems.
“We
are proud to join Bravura as they continue providing the combat proven PGSS
platforms for soldiers abroad,” said Ron Bendlin, president, TCOM. “PSS-T, as a
program of record, represents an enduring aerostat capability for the U.S. Army,
and TCOM looks forward to supporting Bravura with cost effective and innovative
solutions in the years ahead.”
Other PSS-T team members include: Tobyhanna Army
Depot, which provides logistics support for command, control, communications,
computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems;
Dragoon Technologies, Inc., a service-based engineering company providing
advanced systems integration and installation for airborne ISR platforms; Priority Worldwide Services, which provides
supply chain solutions globally; Accent
Controls, Inc., an entrepreneurial systems integration engineering firm; Cape
Fox Professional Services, which provide advanced technology and safety
training solutions to federal clients; Digital Results Group, which provides
web-enabled software and technology solutions that fuse, in real-time, sensor
and intelligence data to support operations; and STS International, which
protects U.S. infrastructure and forces both at home and abroad.
Work on the PSS-T program will be performed in
Aberdeen and Columbia, Maryland, Melbourne, Florida and Akron, Ohio.
For additional information, visit www.bravurainc.com.
About Bravura
Headquartered
in Aberdeen, Maryland, Bravura is a woman-owned,
minority owned, small disadvantaged business with a wealth of Department of
Defense, Army, and intelligence community experience. With over 30 years of
experience, Bravura employs a highly skilled leadership team of proven and
experienced personnel. Our professionals are ready to provide quality driven,
customer focused, schedule-determined, risk mitigated and cost restrained solutions
to help our clients gain maximum value for mission success.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered
in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 98,000 people worldwide and is principally
engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
About
TCOM
TCOM’s headquarters is in Columbia, Maryland,
and the Manufacturing & Flight Test Facility is located near Elizabeth
City, North Carolina. TCOM is the world’s leading company specializing in cost-effective
LTA surveillance solutions with in-house aerostat and airship manufacture,
assembly, flight test and training capabilities.
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