642 ELSS work at four Air Force bases enhances security, saves money

  • Published
  • By Monica D. Morales
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  In a time of strapped budgets and unwavering missions, the 642nd Electronic Systems Squadron's Transformational Technology Insertion Program is reaping monetary savings while further enhancing security at four Air Force sites as part of an ongoing Defense Department initiative.

"TTI is not only a benchmark program in integrated base defense security, but it's a great program for an Air Force acquisition program manager and other integrated product team members to be involved in," said Capt. Max Gulezian, Transformational Technology Insertion program manager. "TTI provides the rare opportunity of managing a complex acquisition program from nearly cradle-to-grave in one assignment."

TTI involves the installation of an intrusion detection system that protects a military installation by using thermal imaging cameras and ground-based radars to detect threats along its perimeter. Information is relayed to a Security Forces Squadron's law enforcement desk, where operators pinpoint a threat's exact location and decide how to act upon it.

Among the bases benefitting from this initiative are Randolph AFB, Texas, MacDill AFB, Fla., Travis AFB, Calif., and Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass. The 15-person 642 ELSS team completed work at its Texas site in June, with work currently nearing completion at MacDill.

The TTI system was able to attain an Air Force "first-ever" approval to operate on the AF Global Information Grid with a "Platform Information Technology (IT)" interconnection designation under the Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process, or DIACAP.

Platform IT refers to computer resources, both hardware and software, that are physically part of, dedicated to, or essential in real time to the mission performance of special purpose systems. The TTI system was deemed to be a special purpose sensor relay system.

Approval to operate on the AF GIG translates into success for the TTI program by maximizing the use of existing network infrastructure. Without an approval to operate on the GIG, a force protection system that provides the capabilities of TTI would be much more costly and time consuming to install, requiring a dedicated security forces infrastructure to be built from each sensor location back to the base's law enforcement desk.

The construction of a dedicated infrastructure also requires trenching to install power and fiber cables from each sensor location back to the base's law enforcement desk. With TTI, it is only necessary to trench to the nearest gateway to the AF GIG (base LAN).

"Initially, we thought all of the system's sensors would have to be evaluated for information assurance to get DIACAP approval, but we were able to develop an architecture that was elegant enough that it only required one piece of equipment in the TTI system to undergo evaluation," said Captain Gulezian.

The bases designated as implementation sites for the TTI represent a sampling of three different major commands. If the technology proves to be a useful security enhancement, the captain said, the resulting data from this work could provide decision-makers with a case for the initiative to go Air Force-wide.

"If a TTI-like system were to be installed at every AF installation and we were to extrapolate those cost savings, that could mean huge savings when you consider that this yields about a 60 percent cost savings at a $2 million per base project," Captain Gulezian said.

This work brings with it two phases - a security enhancement process and automated entry at gates. The first involves installing ground-based radars placed strategically for the detection of intruders. In response to motion detected by the radars, the team also put cameras in place to zero-in on activity. This then allows for better decision making back at the installation's law enforcement desk.

The second phase automates installation entry by using an automated system to verify the credentials and authorize entry of personnel at base entry control points. In part, this technology is aimed at providing an enhancement to a guard checking the ID card of each person entering the base.

As work at each of the sites reaches completion, the Air Force Security Forces Center - one of the system's key users - will collect resulting data that will be used as programming inputs and act as a guide for future usage. From there, the results will be passed on to the Pentagon to determine the project's next step and potential future funding.

The 642 ELSS will complete the TTI project in summer 2009.