SAIC Surveillance System Helps Army Prevent Potential Fray, Capture Taliban Flags

Thanks in part to a surveillance system quickly integrated and fielded by an SAIC team, U.S. Army troops were able to keep an eye on Taliban activities in Afghanistan, thwart enemy plans to attack a U.S. forward operating base (FOB), and confiscate two Taliban flags — all without using a single weapon.

The commander at the FOB near the border of Pakistan used information from thermal imagers within the SAIC-developed Force Protection Suite — a family of integrated cameras and other sensors that provide detection and assessment capabilities — to determine the state of the enemy threat, enabling U.S. forces to choose when and how to respond.

The soldiers who ultimately cleared the area presented the two captured flags to the SAIC installation team at the base in appreciation of its efforts in delivering the surveillance capability.

"At that point, the whole system wasn't completely installed," said Kelly Albright, a trainer on SAIC's Force Protection Suite installation team.

"But the thermal cameras were functional and feeding video to the base defense operations center. Even with only part of the system online, we were able to see firsthand how the work we do helps protect the warfighter — it was amazing."

System Designed and Fielded in Short Order

SAIC is the integrator of the Force Protection Suite, which is a core component of BETSS-C, or the Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance Systems-Combined.

In November 2007, BETSS-C was assigned to the Army as a U.S. Central Command Joint Urgent Operational Need. The race was under way to develop and field a sophisticated system to improve situational awareness, contribute to better employment of forces, and act as a deterrent to enemy forces.

Within six months, SAIC put together an experienced industry team, designed and integrated the Force Protection Suite, and began fielding the system — all while coordinating closely with multiple government stakeholders to make sure the program stayed on course despite evolving requirements, compressed timelines, and the challenges of operating in the remote and mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq.

"It was all about momentum and meeting the urgent need of the warfighter," said Program Manager Chuck Murdock. "We knew that if we focused on that goal, the rest would fall into place, and it always did."

"It was all about momentum and meeting the urgent need of the warfighter. We knew that if we focused on that goal, the rest would fall into place, and it always did."

The team's accomplishments were recognized earlier this year with an SAIC Annual Achievement Award in the category of Excellence in Program Performance: Technical Services.

SAIC Tailors System to Individual Site Needs

The system, which is tailored by SAIC engineers to fit the specific requirements of each FOB, provides all-weather detection and assessment capabilities up to several kilometers beyond a base, depending on the surrounding topography.

Components of the suite include ground surveillance radar, pan-tilt-zoom cameras, closed-circuit television cameras, illuminators, long-range thermal imagers, and unattended seismic/acoustic sensors — a mix of commercial off-the-shelf components and Army force protection systems designed to meet the customer's specifications.

Currently, SAIC is responsible for system integration, site-specific design, packaging and shipping, installation, training, and operational tracking. A team of nearly 40 specialists on the SAIC team support the fielding of the Force Protection Suite in the war theater.

As of August 2009, SAIC has fielded 20 systems, with a total of 27, and possibly more, planned.

The Flag Travels On

Back home, Murdock and his crew decided the customer should have one of the Taliban flags to recognize the combined efforts of the government and industry team that worked hand-in-hand to deliver the needed capability.

The flag was given to Maj. Gen. James Myles, the commander of the Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, an organization that played a key role in developing and fielding the force protection component of BETSS-C.

In turn, Myles presented it during a special ceremony to the command's Research Development and Engineering Center, where the flag will be on permanent display.

The ceremony, which took place in June, attracted high-level military and government officials. Local news media, including The Huntsville Times and the town's ABC and CBS affiliates, covered the event.

"Maj. Gen. Myles gave SAIC a lot of credit during the ceremony," said Murdock. "But the true heroes are those men and women who are out there on the front line. I am proud to be a part of a program that helps protect them."