Northrop Grumman has delivered four prototype engagement operations center shelters to the U.S. Army, the company announced on Wednesday.
The prototypes were designed for the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) using earlier models from air and missile defense and incorporating improvements. The shelters were developed following exercises conducted by Northrop Grumman, which received "hands-on" experience and feedback from soldiers. The company says the new shelters improve upon mobility, protection and time to engagement.
"These new shelters will offer significantly more speed and flexibility to conduct IBCS operations, and better protection of our soldiers," Northrop Grumman Information Systems Integrated air and missile defense division vice president and general manager Dan Verwiel said in a statement.
A single shelter can be set up by two people. The IBCS was designed to be compatable with any Army loading-handling system vehicle to improve transportation, and have been integrated with an active system to protect soldiers from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats.
The IBCS replaces seven legacy command-and-control systems, and also provides a wider area of surveillance and a larger area of protection.
The prototypes were delivered 11 months following their contract agreement with the Army, which Verwiel says demonstrates Northrop Grumman's close collaboration with the Army.
Microsoft Military Affairs to expand IT training program
Redmond, Wash. (UPI) Nov 4, 2015 –
Microsoft Military Affairs will expand its Software & Systems Academy, providing IT career training to more military installations, the company announced Wednesday.
Under the expansion, Microsoft Military Affairs will expand from three locations to nine, and begin servicing 12 installations in total. The program aims to help service members develop career skills in the IT industry, focusing on cloud developers, cloud administrators, database, and business intelligence administrators. Participants in the program receive an interview for a full-time job with the company or one of its hiring partners.
New locations include Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and Quantico in Virginia; the Naval Air Stations in Jacksonville, Fla., and San Diego, Calif.; Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington; and three additional U.S. Army installations.
"The skill sets of our servicemen and servicewomen, combined with the IT training they receive in a program like MSSA, position them to strongly compete for high-paying, long-term careers in technology," Microsoft Military Affairs Vice President Chris Cortez said in a statement. "Expanding the program not only to East Coast military bases but also to additional installations will allow us to significantly increase our impact in this time of troop transition, when many service members are seeking new, promising career paths."
Microsoft's Military Affairs program aims to support U.S. armed forces through career training services for the technology industry. It also provides software services and other programs for the U.S. government and defense contractors.
