SAIC wins $53 million deal to move WMD models on-line
Integrated Weapons of Mass Destruction Toolset has been in development since 2004; moving on-line critical to dispersing data to first responders; physics-based models assess terrain, wind patterns, and other factors
San Diego-based SAIC is so big it makes deals over the holidays. Last week the company announced that it had won a $53.9 million Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) contract to develop computer models of WMD attacks that could be accessed by emergency responders and other government employees over the Internet. The models, in development since 2004 and comprising what is called the Integrated Weapons of Mass Destruction Toolset, have been in development since 2004, and a Web-based architecture is one of the system’s key componants. “Anybody that has a Web browser, a laptop, connectivity and permission would be able to access these tools to do their job,” SAIC’s Michael Chagnon explained.
The idea behind the program is to create physics-based models that simulate the natural progression of a biological or radiological attacks depending on conditions such as wind, terrain, and the original site of detonation.
“First responders could use that information to determine exactly what type of medical response would be required and the number of people that might be affected,” Chagnon said. “So it’s being able to publish data that could be of use to others, as well as being able to subscribe to data — such as weather data updates — that would enable the toolset to make more up-to-date calculations as well.”
The multiple-award cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a three-year base period with an optional five-year total period of performance.
-read more in Doug Beizer’s Washington Post report
