Air Force asks Bowhead to provide cyber security and trusted computing for intelligence and targeting
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – U.S. Air Force intelligence and targeting experts needed trusted-computing information exchange capability for the Air Force National Tactical Integration (AFNTI) program. They found their solution from Bowhead Cybersecurity Solutions & Services LLC in Springfield, Va.
Officials of the Acquisition Management & Integration Center-Detachment 2, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, announced a $19.7 million contract to Bowhead on Friday for real-time, two-way interactive information exchange among the combined/joint force air component commander, other joint and Air Force customers, and the national intelligence community.
The AFNTI program capitalizes on signals intelligence (SIGINT) information and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
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The Air Force Targeting Enterprise (AFTE) provides targeting and geospatial support to the Air Force Component AOCs via reachback and distributed operations. To enable the AFTE to provide optimum support to Air Force Component AOCs in deliberative planning, crisis, and contingency operations, the AFTE requires access to national SIGINT via the AFNTI program.
Information from the AFNTI goes to Air Force air operations centers (AOCs), to include air expeditionary forces, while also providing SIGINT expertise and insight on Air Force operations in air, space, and cyberspace.
Cyber security is one particular challenge of operating the AFNTI. The cyberspace domain is extremely dependent on SIGINT data to enable successful targeting, Air Force officials say.
Many times, this SIGINT data is protected by cryptologic rules and regulations and cannot be used in the initial steps of deliberate planning. In addition to these restrictions, sometimes the data does not exist at all due to priorities in collection at the national level.
On this contract Bowhead will do the work in Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Fort Meade, Md.; Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.; Fort Gordon, Ga.; Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.; Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.; Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; and Creech Air Force Base, Nev., and should be finished by January 2024.
This sole-source contract has four option periods. For more information contact Bowhead Cybersecurity Solutions & Services online at www.bowheadsupport.com, or the Acquisition Management & Integration Center-Detachment 2 at www.25af.af.mil.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
