The U.S. Department of Defense Biometrics Task Force (BTF) has named Lockheed Martin an industry leader capable of being awarded task orders under the Biometrics Operations and Support Services - Unrestricted (BOSS-U) vehicle. As part of the award process, 11 other corporations were also selected to participate in this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) program.

At its core, the BOSS-U program is designed to give military field operations greater access to reliable, secure biometrics tools and services, empowering U.S. military forces and safeguarding the nation. BOSS-U has a potential program cap of up to $497 million over a total of five years, with a three year base period and two one-year option periods.

Lockheed Martin's principal strengths include broad-based experience in biometrics, solid investment in related research and development, proven risk reduction strategies, and access to the corporation's key spaces for collaboration in biometrics and development, including the Center for Innovation and the Biometric Experimentation and Advanced Concepts (BEACON) center. In addition to research and development efforts at these labs, Lockheed Martin brings in government customers, industry partners, and academic experts as part of its collaborative process.

"We're proud that the Department of Defense has given us the opportunity to vigorously compete for task orders as they're issued under BOSS-U," said Barbara Humpton, vice president, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services (IS&GS) Secure Enterprise Solutions. "Our focus is realistic: building useful solutions based on knowledge from our military expertise. We believe our experience in biometrics across the homeland security, counterterrorism, law enforcement and civil arenas will serve our defense customer - and, ultimately, the soldier in the theater of operations - very well."

The Lockheed Martin-led BOSS-U team includes BAE Systems, CWI, Edge Consulting, Global Science & Technology, Inc., ID Technology Partners, Information Manufacturing Company, LLC, List Innovative Solutions, Inc., and PMG.

Lockheed Martin is the lead industry partner for several major government biometrics initiatives. Most recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) awarded the company the Next Generation Identification (NGI) program, which will expand the fingerprint capacity of the

Bureau's current identification system and add in new capability: palm prints, iris and facial recognition. Lockheed Martin also is the prime contractor for the Transportation Security Administration's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, which equips vetted maritime workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports and vessels with biometric credentials.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin