One of my overarching goals for S&T was for us to expand how people think of us and our capabilities. There are several ways in which we protect and secure the homeland and serve the Homeland Security Enterprise. With that in mind, I’m happy to tell you we will be at the Association of the United States Army’s annual convention from October 3-5, right here in Washington, DC.
Now, some of you may be wondering what the connection is between S&T and the military but as I said before, this is about rethinking our role in national security. We are a natural fit when it comes to protecting Americans from a variety of threats, ranging from cyber to terrorist attacks. We’re often fighting the same fight, which is why we’re honored they invited us to their convention.
With that in mind, I’d like to tell you about the technologies we’ll be showcasing.
FINDER quickly detects buried victims under rubble or other debris and can be used during a natural disaster. We believe it’s a game-changing technology that will not only change the way first responders do their jobs and help them save a lot lives.
Our Datacasting technology provides our men and women in service with the capability to transmit secure data, including voice, text, files, images, and video over existing broadcast television signals to a targeted audience. Whether it’s a natural disaster or an attack, members of our military need to be able to communicate data at a fast pace and without interruption. Our scientists have created a way for this information to be shared with the proper authorities even if wireless services are down due to congestion.
There’s also the low power, handheld backscatter scanning system, which can be used to detect contraband in vehicles, buildings, and even non-metallic areas of ships.
Finally, our Modeling and Simulation Engine, or MS-E, will also be at the convention. MS-E provides a crowd evacuation analysis along with landscape assessments for Unmanned Aerial Systems. It’s extremely handy in large events, like when the Pope visited our Nation’s Capital in 2015 or the upcoming presidential inauguration. MS-E is just another tool to help the first responders do their jobs in the most efficient way possible with a very thorough understanding of their surroundings and how to best protect civilians.
I’m looking forward to the event and hope that you’ll come out to see these innovative solutions and to get a better understanding of how S&T is expanding the language around homeland security.