Department of Homeland Security on the Right Track
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by Lawrence P. Farrell, Jr.
As the nation prepares to cope with what could be a flurry of terrorist alerts
between now and the November elections, it seems appropriate to ask what the
government is doing to protect us from potentially devastating terrorist attacks.
Although questions remain concerning the accuracy of the intelligence about
these threats, it is nevertheless reassuring to see that the Department of Homeland
Security is taking aggressive steps to help the nation’s state and local
governments, as well as first responders, prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Among the top priorities at DHS is the need to acquire and field advanced technologies
for homeland defense. With a budget of about $1 billion a year for the Science
and Technology (S&T) Directorate, DHS is actively reaching out to industry
for their innovations and technical wizardry.
The outreach effort was in full swing last month at a DHS conference in San
Diego, organized by NDIA, where Dr. Charles McQueary, DHS undersecretary for
science and technology, outlined the department’s key goals, and challenged
industry to deliver the needed technologies.
DHS has put a lot of effort into analyzing threats and determining its S&T
requirements. Officials who spoke at the conference acknowledged that they have
a tough challenge, because they are seeking revolutionary technologies and attempting
to satisfy a long list of urgent emergency responder needs that can be fielded
in the near term. Some technologies, such as chemical detectors and surveillance
sensors, are widely available in the marketplace. Others, such as systems that
help agencies share intelligence on a national level and missile-defense systems
for airliners, are more complex and will require more work, as well as closer
collaboration with our nation’s laboratories. To foster innovation, the
department engages the entire private sector as well as small businesses, under
the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program.
One organization in McQueary’s S&T Directorate that manages science
and technology efforts within DHS is the Homeland Security Advanced Research
Projects Agency. Although its name resembles the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency, this agency is quite different in its approach to
developing technologies. While most of DARPA’s efforts focus on long-term
research, 85 percent of HSARPA’s funds target immediate research requirements,
and only 15 percent address revolutionary concepts. Unlike the Defense Department,
DHS must satisfy regional needs, which vary greatly from one part of the country
to another. A case in point is the BioWatch program, which monitors the air
in 30 U.S. cities, protecting a large number of Americans.
Another growing concern is the smuggling of nuclear and radiological material
across the borders. DHS officials want to field detectors at border crossings
that would help stop smugglers, without causing major disruptions to commerce.
Low false-alarm rates are critical, noted Leon Feinstein, an HSARPA program
manager for nuclear technologies.
Much of the equipment DHS develops is for first responders, which means systems
must be affordable, lightweight, portable and easy to use.
From a strategic standpoint, DHS is emphasizing the need to anticipate the
intent of enemies who are “dangerous and unpredictable,” according
to Coast Guard Capt. Dan McClellan, chief of strategic analysis.
The Coast Guard plays a major role in DHS’s plans. It is now leading
the way toward the creation of an “integrated maritime domain” that
would connect local and national agencies so they can share intelligence about
incoming vessels and suspicious activities around U.S. ports. The U.S. Navy
also will be part of this endeavor, as was recently advocated by Chief of Naval
Operations Adm. Vernon Clark, who characterized this effort as a “maritime
NORAD” for the defense of all North American coastal areas. NORAD is the
North American Aerospace Defense Command, which monitors the airspace.
The role of information sharing cannot be underestimated in the homeland security
arena. Terms such as “knowledge management” and “information
assurance” inevitably come up in discussions about DHS’s push to
integrate the disparate stovepipes of information generated by hundreds of national,
state and local agencies. The department is hopeful it can gradually begin to
connect the stovepipes and provide real-time data to all agencies and even first
responders in the field.
To achieve these ambitious goals, DHS is counting on industry involvement.
Officials encourage businesses to monitor key websites, such as www.dhs.gov/openforbusiness,
www.hsarpabaa.com, www.hsarpasbir.com, and www.fedbizopps.gov for the latest
announcements and solicitations for upcoming projects.
It is clear that DHS has devoted much attention and detailed analysis to define
the security problems confronting the nation, and that it has set a number of
requirements in the science and technology field that it is confident industry
can help fulfill.
In these tense times, it is comforting to see the focus and level of attention
that DHS is devoting to its industry research outreach. After all, much of the
technical talent the government needs resides in industry, and homeland security
should be nothing less than a team effort.
Please email your comments to Lfarrell@ndia.org