The United Kingdom Home Office has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a major new forensic security contract. Valued at £28.8 million, the deal will see Northrop Grumman shore up the Forensic and Biometric Interim Capability (FABrIC).
FABrIC is essentially an extension of IDENT1, an initiative seeking to construct a biometric identity management platform to be used in crime investigations and other law enforcement purposes. The technology is tailor-made for the UK’s national policing services, and the contract reflects a longstanding relationship between the UK government and Northrop Grumman. In a statement announcing the deal, Northrop Grumman Information Systems VP Ed Sturms said it “demonstrates our continued collaborative partnership and strong programme performance of more than 20 years with the UK Home Office.” Andrew Tyler, head of the company’s Europe division, added that the “contract award will enable us to continue the good work we have been doing to provide the police service with the national identity management capabilities they need.”
The contract is a reflection of broader trends in national security as more governments around the world continue to adopt biometrics in law enforcement and criminal investigations, as well as border control.
As we’ve reported before on FindBiometrics, biometric technology can be a great boon to law enforcement agencies, though some of the more invasive security proposals in recent memory have proven controversial in Britain and elsewhere.
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May 12, 2015 – by Alex Perala
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