Defense Daily articles from February 2008

Defense Daily archives from February 2008

Raytheon Ends 2007 With Strong Fourth Quarter.
February 1, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker Raytheon [RTN] yesterday reported strong fourth quarter earnings and sales driven by improvements in all but one of its operating segments and the company recorded a record backlog which positions it well for the near...

Balanced Performance Drives ATK To Strong Third Quarter.
February 1, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker Alliant Techsystems [ATK] yesterday posted strong third quarter financial results due to balanced performance across its operating divisions and the company raised its fiscal year 2008 earnings guidance. That...

National Discussion Needed On Whether To Boost DoD Spending Above 4 Percent, Chairman Says.
February 1, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he is worried about seeing a drop in the overall defense budget levels and believes the country needs to debate whether those levels should be increased. Additionally, Adm....

Granger Rejoins House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
February 1, 2008... By Jen DiMascio Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) is reclaiming her seat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, which she gave up when Republicans lost the majority in the House during the 2007 elections. The seat was opened when...

Cyber Security Business In Line For A Boom.
February 1, 2008... By Jen DiMascio A "downpour" of spending on cyber security is expected in 2008 and 2009, a homeland security lawyer said recently. Last year, a number of security breaches were reported, including incidents that caused 1,500 Pentagon...

Navy, Northrop Grumman Continue Investigation Into Submarine, Ship Weld Issue.
February 1, 2008... By Geoff Fein Following the discovery last fall of welding issues on the pre- commissioned unit (PCU) USS New Hampshire (SSN-778), the Navy and Northrop Grumman [NOC] Newport News (NGNN) continue to work closely on the long-term...

Organic Growth, Higher Margins Lead L-3 To Strong Fourth Quarter.(-3 Communications Corp.)(Financial report)
February 1, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker L-3 Communications [LLL] yesterday posted strong fourth quarter income and sales driven by organic growth and better operating performance. Almost all of the sales growth in the quarter and the year was organic,...

Navy Awards Austal, Bath Iron Works And Bollinger Shipyards JHSV Design Contracts.
February 1, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy last night awarded three, $3 million, phase one firm fixed price contracts to develop a preliminary design for the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). The winning bids were Mobile, Ala.-based Austal USA, General...

Defense Watch.
February 4, 2008... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Ready for a Fight. Army readiness shortfalls are worsening, HASC Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) last week wrote a letter to Defense...

DHS Requesting $12 Billion For Border Security And Immigration Enforcement.
February 4, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week said its FY '09 budget request that will go to Congress today includes $12.1 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, a 19 percent increase over...

Boeing's Defense Division Alters Leadership; Announces New Assignments.
February 4, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker Boeing [BA] on Friday announced a slew of new leadership assignments within its Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) division, including the creation of a chief operating officer (COO) position to help oversee the...

Bush Budget Seeks $74 Million In Fiscal 2009 To Replace NPOESS Sensors.
February 4, 2008... By Dave Ahearn President Bush will add $74 million to his fiscal 2009 budget plan to help place sensors on future satellites that were removed in 2006 from the planned National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System...

Army Aviation Optimizing National Resources For National Capability, General Says.
February 4, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt Army aviation is leveraging all available resources to produce a capable, qualified force that goes beyond combat capability to homeland security, homeland defense and into supporting foreign policy, according to a top...

Cross Match Acquires Canadian Firm Labcal.
February 4, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker Cross Match Technologies last Friday said it has acquired Canada's Labcal Technologies in a deal that immediately adds a handheld, wireless card reading and biometric authentication technology that is applicable to...

President Requests $515.4 Billion For Basic Defense Funding In FY '09.
February 5, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The president yesterday asked Congress to approve $515.4 billion to fund the Pentagon's basic operations in fiscal year 2009--along with an initial $70 billion placeholder request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...

Air Force Seeks $143.9 Billion In FY '09 Dollars.
February 5, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The president yesterday submitted to Congress a budget for $143.9 billion in Air Force funding, including $41 billion for modernization. The request for the second year defies a congressional mandate to develop two...

Army $140.7 Billion FY '09 Budget Request Continues Growth, Focuses On Soldiers, Balance.
February 5, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's $140.7 billion request in the FY '09 president's budget request is $12.3 billion, or 9.6 percent higher than the $128.9 billion FY '08 projected for enacted funds and is intended to balance immediate...

Navy's $41 Billion Procurement Request Includes Fewer VH-71s, LCS.
February 5, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy's $149.3 billion FY '09 budget request includes $41.1 billion for ships, aircraft and weapons procurement in FY '09, but removes four VH-71 presidential helicopters and four Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) from the...

Bush Seeks $50.5 Billion Budget For Homeland Security.
February 5, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is asking Congress for nearly $51 billion in FY '09, a 7 percent increase from the current budget, with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Federal Emergency...

Coast Guard Delivers $9 Billion Budget, $1.2 Billion For Recapitalization Efforts.
February 5, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Coast Guard has requested more than $9 billion dollars for its FY '09 budget that includes $1.2 billion for recapitalizing the service's fleet of vessels as well as improving command and control and intelligence...

Air Force Space Budget Request Includes Increase In Situational Awareness Funding.
February 5, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The president is asking for approximately $8.6 billion to fund research, development and purchasing of Air Force space platforms for fiscal year 2009, including a 21 percent increase in funding for programs that respond...

Bush Seeks $ 9.3 Billion For Missile Defense Agency In Fiscal 2009.
February 5, 2008... By Dave Ahearn President Bush would provide $9.3 billion for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2009, under the budget plan that Bush yesterday sent to Congress for its review and approval. That...

Budget In Hand, Lawmakers Prepare For Plus-ups.
February 6, 2008... By Jen DiMascio Now that the defense spending request is out of the hands of the president, lawmakers are meeting with the service chiefs of staff and some of the discussion will touch on items that could be added to the budget before it...

Navy Raises Shipbuilding Funding Requirement To Meet Challenge of Building 313- Ship Fleet.
February 6, 2008... By Geoff Fein The next four years will be a challenging time for the Navy as the service looks to buy another aircraft carrier, five surface combatants, 18 littoral combat ships (LCS) and eight Virginia-class submarines, according to the...

Bush Budget Proposal Seeks $17.6 Billion For NASA In Fiscal 2009.
February 6, 2008... By Dave Ahearn President Bush on Monday asked Congress to provide $17.6 billion for NASA in fiscal 2009, a 2.9 percent increase from the $17.1 billion that NASA actually is getting to spend in the current fiscal 2008. Congress had...

Army Issues RFP For Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
February 6, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt The Army yesterday issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Family of Vehicles (FOV). JLTV is a Joint U.S. Army/Marine Corps program with the U.S. Army designated as the lead...

DoD Taps Odierno For Fourth Star, Nominated As Next Army Vice Chief of Staff.
February 6, 2008... The Defense Department yesterday announced the selection of Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno for appointment to the rank of general and assignment as the next Army vice chief of staff, replacing Gen. Richard Cody. Odierno is currently serving as...

SRA Posts Higher Earnings, Sales In Second Quarter.(Financial report)
February 6, 2008... SRA International [SRX] yesterday reported higher second quarter earnings and sales, which were driven largely by acquisitions. Net income increased 8 percent to $18 million, 30 cents earnings per share (EPS), compared to $16.7 million...

Navy Issues Notice For LCS Buy For FY '08, '09 Ships.
February 6, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy Friday issued a presolicitation notice for FY '08 and FY '09 procurement of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). These are the first procurement announcements for LCS since both General Dynamics [GD] and Lockheed...

Boeing Awaits Decision On AMF JTRS.
February 6, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt This week, Boeing [BA] officials expect to receive the request for the final proposal revision in its competition with Lockheed Martin [LMT] for the military's next generation Airborne Maritime and Fixed Station Joint...

Gates: F-22 Production Increase Could Hurt More Affordable JSF.
February 7, 2008... By Jen DiMascio Defense Secretary Robert Gates yesterday explained that the Pentagon has opposed mass production of additional F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets after weighing the near-term risk from near-peer competitors. Gates told...

DoD Preparing For FYDP Strategic Investment Guidance.(Department of Defense)
February 7, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt The Defense Department will soon receive strategic guidance for the future years defense budget, fiscal years 2010-2015, according to a top Pentagon official. "We're just finishing the guidance for the development of...

DHS S&T Seeks Information On Tripwire Sensors For Border Security.
February 7, 2008... The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate has issued a Request for Information on existing tripwire sensor systems able to satisfy a host of requirements for operations in the northwest and northeast...

Thales Awarded Initial Contract For U.K. FRES SOSI.
February 7, 2008... The U.K. Ministry of Defence Feb. 6 announced it awarded Thales UK an initial six-month contract valued at about $7.8 million to undertake the Systems of Systems Integrator (SOSI) role on the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) program. ...

Reorganized WIN-T Program Approaches Critical Design Review.
February 7, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The next iteration of the Army's battlefield network communications recently demonstrated an on-the-move capability, as the program's design faces another review. Increment two of the Warfighter Information...

L-3 Boosts Dividend.
February 7, 2008... L-3 Communications [LLL] on Tuesday said it will be increasing its quarterly stock dividend by 20 cents to 30 cents per share, a move that is in line with its emphasis for the past year of deploying more cash either to bolster its stock price...

France To Buy Lockheed Martin Hellfire II Missiles.
February 7, 2008... The governments of France and the United States have signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the sale of Lockheed Martin's [LMT] precision-strike laser-guided Hellfire IIr missiles to France. The value of the contract value and number...

Navy Drops Two Fire Scouts In FY '09, But Program Continues Forward.
February 7, 2008... By Geoff Fein In its FY '09 budget, the Navy reduced its quantity buy of Northrop Grumman's [NOC] Fire Scout vertical takeoff unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) due to competing requirements, according to a Navy official. Last year's...

FCS Incurs Schedule Breach, Operational Capability Slips To 2017.
February 8, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt Congressional budget cuts amounting to more than $789 million between fiscal year 2006 and FY 2008 have resulted in an Acquisition Program Baseline Schedule breach for the Army's major modernization program--Future...

House Appropriators Ponder Future Mix of Fighter Jets.
February 8, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The House Appropriations defense subcommittee (HAC-D) is looking at proposals regarding the mix of fighter aircraft it will fund for the Air Force next year, according to subcommittee leaders. The HAC-D held a closed...

Raytheon Delivers SUV-Based Rad Detection System To DNDO.
February 8, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker Raytheon [RTN] yesterday said it has delivered a radiation detection system that is integrated into a sports utility vehicle (SUV) to the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO). ...

Army Orders More AeroVironment Raven UAVs.
February 8, 2008... AeroVironment Inc. [AVAV] Feb. 7 announced a $45.8 million Army award for additional RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and associated services by the exercise of a one-year option under an existing multi-year contract. ...

Army, Navy Fire Scouts: Similar Look, But Treading Different Paths.
February 8, 2008... By Geoff Fein Looking across the production line at Northrop Grumman's [NOC] Mississippi facility, it's hard for anyone to tell the difference between the Army and Navy variants of the MQ-8B Fire Scout. But the differences are there...

Commercial Space Sector Poised For Liftoff: Experts.
February 8, 2008... By Dave Ahearn The commercial space sector is attracting steadily more investment funds and is poised for liftoff, experts said. "We are just now entering the most vibrant" period of the emergent commercial space sector, said Pete...

Navy Selects Three Teams To Develop Concepts For Follow-On To EP-3.
February 8, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy earlier this week awarded Boeing [BA]-Argon ST; Lockheed Martin [LMT]; and Northrop Grumman [NOC]-L3 Communications [LLL] teams each $1.25 million contracts to develop the program requirements and potential system...

Boeing Gets $73 Million Navy Contract For Harpoon Block III.
February 8, 2008... The Navy recently awarded Boeing [BA] a $73.7 million contract to design and develop the Harpoon Block III missile, a next-generation weapon system that will enhance naval surface warfare capabilities, the company said. The system design...

Defense Watch.
February 11, 2008... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Bombs Away. The sale of up to 900 GPS-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia is likely to move forward, though Congress continues to oversee the transaction through a number of...

Lawmakers Likely To Use JSF Test Failure As Proof of Need For Second Engine.
February 11, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The failure last week of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) engine blade during proof testing is providing additional fuel for lawmakers who seek to restore funding for an alternate engine. The Pratt & Whitney [UTX]...

Agencies In NYC Region To Compete For Grants Under Securing The Cities.
February 11, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is making available $30 million in grants that state and local governments and other agencies in the New York City region can compete for under the Securing The Cities (STC)...

U.K. Plans Tougher Arms Controls.
February 11, 2008... The U.K. plans to introduce tougher export controls on certain types of arms as a result of a government review of its export controls, a government official said Feb. 6. The stricter controls are in response to the views and...

DoE Reduces Random Drug Testing For Some Contractor Employees.
February 11, 2008... By George Lobsenz In line with a September 2007 order from Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, the Energy Department has announced it will decrease the percentage of certain DoE contractor employees subject to random drug testing each year....

Safety Board: NNSA Understating Potential Offsite Doses At Y-12.
February 11, 2008... By George Lobsenz A federal safety oversight board has questioned "non-conservative" Energy Department estimates of potential offsite radiation doses from accidents at the Y-12 plant, saying they may lead to "less than adequate...

Inspection Finds Signs of Bowing In Traverse Beams On LCS-2.
February 12, 2008... By Geoff Fein During a recent inspection of General Dynamics' [GD] Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), bowing was discovered in the transverse beams that support the ship's flight deck, according to the Navy. The Navy late yesterday released...

Air Force Seeks Additional $18.75 Billion In FY '09.
February 12, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The Air Force is seeking an additional $18.75 billion in fiscal year 2009 including $3.9 billion for 15 Boeing [BA] C-17 Globemaster airlifters. The large list of requirements was not unexpected. The Air Force has...

Army Seeks $3.9 Billion In Unfunded Requirements.(Brief article)
February 12, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The Army's chief of staff outlined $3.9 billion in unfunded needs for fiscal year 2009--including $1.59 billion for Humvees and additional equipment for the National Guard. Gen. George Casey also stressed that the...

DRS Posts Record Third Quarter Results.(Financial report)
February 12, 2008... DRS Technologies [DRS] last week reported record third quarter financial results due to strong organic growth and margins across its operating businesses. Net income increased 21 percent to $42.6 million, $1.03 earnings per share (EPS),...

U.S. Arrests DoD, Former Boeing Official In Separate Spying Cases.
February 12, 2008... The Department of Justice yesterday announced four arrests in two separate cases of alleged spying for China that included passing secrets on United States weapons systems and the Space Shuttle, and on military sales to Taiwan. In the...

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Lantos Dies.
February 12, 2008... Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, died early yesterday because of complications due to cancer. Lantos was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December and announced on Jan. 2 he would not...

MEADS Completes Preliminary Design Review; Tests Set For 2011-13.
February 12, 2008... The American-European Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) completed its preliminary design review (PDR), and a program contractor yesterday voiced confidence that MEADS will be able to shoot down targets successfully. "Seven flight...

LCS May Need To Take On Feel of Aircraft Acquisition Effort, SECNAV Says.
February 12, 2008... By Geoff Fein While the Navy reworks the acquisition plan for its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), moving the first buy of six to FY '13, the real question is how fast can the service get up to speed on production, the Navy's top civilian...

Raytheon Joins General Dynamics Team For Halifax Mod Effort.
February 12, 2008... Raytheon [RTN] Integrated Defense Systems has joined the CSI Halifax Team that is responding to the Canadian Navy's $1.1 billion Halifax-class Modernization (HCM)--Combat Systems Integration (CSI) program, according to General Dynamics [GD]...

Lockheed Martin Receives $194 Million For Army ATACMS.
February 12, 2008... Lockheed Martin [LMT] announced the award of $194 million from the Army Aviation & Missile Command for production of the combat-proven Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). The contract includes the ATACMS Quick Reaction Unitary and the...

Lockheed Martin Nabs FBI Contract To Develop Multi-Modal Biometric Database.
February 13, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker The FBI yesterday selected Lockheed Martin [LMT] as the systems integrator for an award potentially worth nearly $1 billion to design, develop and deploy its Next Generation Identification (NGI) System, which will...

Tenth LPD-17 Tops Marine Corps List of Unmet Needs.
February 13, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Marine Corps has $3.01 billion in unmet needs for FY '08, which includes $1.7 billion for a 10th San Antonio-class LPD-17, Humvees and aircraft, according to Commandant Gen. James Conway. A 10th LPD-17 would reduce...

Aircraft Self-Protection Receivers Top USSOCOM Wish List.(Statistical data)
February 13, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt The Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures (SIRFC) Radar Warning Receivers for the MH-60M Black Hawk are No. 1 on the $413 million list of unfunded priorities U.S. Special Operations Command sent to Congress...

TSA Getting Ready To Launch Airport Employee Pilot Screening Program.
February 13, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) this week said it will begin airport employee screening pilot programs at seven airports in May, taking a look at various methods and capabilities to learn how best to...

England Tells Senators FY '10 Budget May Take On Key Navy, Air Force Issues.
February 13, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The budget for fiscal year 2010 may begin to take on the affordability of the Navy's plan to buy and sustain 313 ships and the Air Force's mammoth list of unfunded requirements, the deputy defense secretary said...

Navy Seeking To Establish Ceiling For 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan.
February 13, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy is examining just how many ships it might be able to build over a 30-year time frame, looking beyond the 313-ship plan and trying to determine a ceiling for the shipbuilding effort, according to the Chief of Naval...

European Missile Defense Could Include Additional, Mobile Radar: Obering.
February 13, 2008... An additional, mobile radar that could operate in a nation such as Turkey might be added to the fixed-site radar envisioned for installation in the Czech Republic and the interceptor ground silos planned for Poland, according to Air Force...

BAE Systems' NLOS-C Platform Fires 1,000th Round.
February 13, 2008... BAE Systems yesterday announced the recent firing of the 1,000th round from the Future Combat Systems' Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon (NLOS-C) firing platform. NLOS-C is a 155mm auto-loading cannon that would replace the Crusader, also a BAE...

Lockheed Martin Camden, Ark., Operations Wins Shingo Silver Medal.
February 13, 2008... Lockheed Martin's [LMT] facility in Camden, Ark., has been selected as a recipient of the 2008 Shingo Silver Medallion for demonstrating excellence in manufacturing. The Shingo Silver Medallion is awarded to companies that demonstrate a...

Wynne: Tanker Competitors Rumored To Agree Not To Protest.
February 14, 2008... By Jen DiMascio Boeing [BA] and Northrop Grumman [NOC], the two companies vying to make the Air Force's next aerial refueling tanker, are rumored to have agreed not to protest the service's award late this month, Air Force Secretary...

NGI Framework Will Allow Inclusion of Emerging Biometrics.
February 14, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker The FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) system will include a plan for integrating various mature biometric technologies such as palm prints, but will also allow for the inclusion in the future of technologies...

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Looking At Sharing Work Between Yards.
February 14, 2008... By Geoff Fein NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--The creation of Northrop Grumman [NOC] Shipbuilding should afford the new enterprise the opportunity to share work among its sites, get a more effective deployment of capital, and take advantage of...

NATO Moves Closer To Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Capability.
February 14, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt NATO today inaugurates a special testing facility in The Hague, Netherlands--a milestone in the multi-year alliance project to protect deployed operating forces from ballistic missile attack. The integration test...

F-22 Line Hinges On Commitment To Advance Procurement By October.
February 14, 2008... By Jen DiMascio To keep the F-22 Raptor fighter jet production line open, the Air Force needs to know by October whether Congress will supply funding for advance procurement in fiscal year 2010, a service official said yesterday. ...

L-3 Shedding Space Microwave Product Line.
February 14, 2008... COM DEV USA, LLC, said yesterday it has agreed to acquire the Passive Microwave Devices product line of L-3 Communications [LLL] Electron Technologies Inc. business unit for $12.2 million in cash. COM DEV USA, a subsidiary of Canada's COM...

To Keep Aerospace Industry Vital, Policy Can't Be Neglected, AIA Says.
February 14, 2008... By Ann Roosevelt The aerospace industry saw success in 2007, but it won't remain robust without policies in place to sustain it, according to the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA). The industry expects to reach some $199 billion...

Backlogged Security Clearances Plague DoD, Contractors, But OPM Sees Progress.
February 14, 2008... By Dave Ahearn Huge delays in performing background clearance investigations on some prospective Department of Defense (DoD) and defense contractor employees is costing the Pentagon and contractors money, endangering national security,...

Young Certifies C-5 Re-engining Program.
February 15, 2008... By Jen DiMascio The defense acquisition chief yesterday announced he has certified the C- 5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) for continuation. John Young signed an order certifying 49 remaining C-5B-model and...

Army Holds Fast To FCS Funding Plan.(future combat system)
February 15, 2008... By Jen DiMascio Despite warnings from the secretary of defense and members of Congress, the Army maintains it can afford and has planned for its top modernization program--the Future Combat System (FCS). Last week, Defense Secretary...

Navy's $4.5 Billion In Unmet Needs Includes Ships, Aircraft And Weapon Enhancements.
February 15, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy faces $4.5 billion in unmet funding needs for FY '08, which includes funding for ship maintenance, weapons enhancement, and aircraft improvements, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead wrote in a recent...

Navy To Shoot Down Errant Spy Satellite With SM-3.
February 15, 2008... By Geoff Fein The Navy will use a Standard Missile (SM)-3 launched from an Aegis- capable ship in the Pacific, in hopes of hitting an out of control spy satellite re-entering the Earth's orbit, military and administration officials said...

Northrop Grumman In Second Year of Next Generation ABIS Development.
February 15, 2008... By Calvin Biesecker Northrop Grumman [NOC] has begun to get the computer architecture in place for the Defense Department's new biometric database and, by the end of this year, is expected to have the computer system ready to begin...