Press Release

ARCURI SECURES $5.9 MILLION FOR LOCAL DEFENSE PROJECTS

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) announced today that he has secured $5.9 million in congressionally-directed funding for Air Force research and development projects that will be conducted by three local businesses.

“The Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome is a critical component of our local economy – responsible for the direct employment of 1,700 hardworking men and women,” said Arcuri.  “What we have at the Griffiss Park is the direct result of a top-notch local, state and federal partnership.  The Mohawk Valley is home to some of the nation’s most promising small high-tech research and development companies.  I plan to continue leveraging the necessary federal resources that will allow for additional growth of our federal defense facilities in Rome and related private contractors.”

The funds secured by Arcuri are included in the fiscal year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill, which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week and is expected to be considered by the House later this week.

$1.9 million for the Cyber Attack Mitigation and Exploitation Laboratory (CAMEL) Program, which will be conducted by CACI, located in Rome, through Rome Lab. The CAMEL program will provide Research and Development that will help protect Air Force operations in Cyberspace.  Tools resulting from this research will be used to protect both military and national critical infrastructure from attack and exploitation by potential adversaries including nation states, cyber criminals and international terrorists.  During the course of the research, samples of malicious software will be forensically analyzed to determine intent and points of origin.

According to the Director of the Defense ISA, Lieutenant General Croom, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in March 2007, Department of Defense communications networks are under constant and increasing attack. The number of Cyber Attack incidents grew from 16,000 in 2004 to more than 30,000 in 2006.

“We are very pleased that Congressman Arcuri was able to secure funding for this critical area of research,” said John Nolander, manager of CACI’s Rome facility.  “Because of this, we expect to add additional staff here in Rome to conduct this research continuing our support of the ongoing world class work being done by the Cyber Operations Branch of AFRL.”

$1 million for Interoperability Network to Fuse and Exchange Real-time-information (INFER). The INFER program, conducted in part by Utica-based company ICx Digital Infrared Imaging, Inc., under the direction of Rome Lab, will develop a real-time information processing system to assist leaders at all levels in making critical decisions in a military environment or during local/national emergencies by combining existing and developing information collection and processing technology to create an improved command and control system.  The Air Force has managed a multi-agency program called E-SMART Liberty Island that is developing an INFER-type system on a scale that addresses the spectrum of emergency events associated with the Statue of Liberty complex.  Using Liberty Island as a test-bed, and taking advantage of the high-traffic, complex environment associated with the Liberty Island facility, the INFER program will develop and demonstrate a command and control system capable of providing decision-makers with real-time exchange and multi-level fusion of actionable information.

“ICx Imaging Systems is proud of the support Congressman Arcuri has given to the INFER program,” said Steven Balick of Utica based ICx Digital Infrared Imaging. “The objective of  the INFER system is to improve command and control for the Department of Defense at all levels by dramatically improving the way in which information is provided to leaders who must make critical, time sensitive decisions. This program leverages the work being done at Rome Lab along with the local sensor development programs right here in Utica. Congressman Arcuri has demonstrated his ability to provide the leadership necessary to leverage the Air Force, the Congressional process and industry to protect our deployed soldiers, sailors and Marines.”

$3 million for a Multi-mission Advanced Sensor System (MASS) project to be conducted by PAR Government Systems of Rome through Naval Air Systems Command, located in Maryland.  Funding for the MASS project will be used to design, build and deploy a small multi-mission advanced sensor system that will employ a small, low-cost multispectral sensor on class II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This system will provide an affordable sensor with utility in missions such as unit level military operations, local civil disaster relief and assessment, federal and state law enforcement, and border security.

###