{"id":32430,"date":"2023-03-06T18:15:37","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T18:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/03\/06\/us-nuclear-bases-to-get-security-networking-upgrade-from-persistent\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:50:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:50:05","slug":"us-nuclear-bases-to-get-security-networking-upgrade-from-persistent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/govcon\/2023\/03\/06\/us-nuclear-bases-to-get-security-networking-upgrade-from-persistent\/","title":{"rendered":"US nuclear bases to get security networking upgrade from Persistent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Air Force tapped communications-technology company Persistent Systems to provide seamless networking for security operations at the nation\u2019s three intercontinental ballistic missile bases in a contract worth nearly $76 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To link security personnel on the missile fields with faraway operations centers and to keep an eye out for intruders, Persistent is rolling out its Infrastructure-based Regional Operation Network, or IRON, which uses antenna systems on fixed towers or poles<\/a> to enable widespread sharing of voice and video, as well as sensor and GPS data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company this month said some 700 IRON assets will be installed across Malmstrom, Minot and F.E. Warren Air Force bases, in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming, respectively. The project, part of the Air Force\u2019s Regional Operating Picture program, will connect 75 operations centers and more than 1,000 security vehicles across a combined area of about 25,000 square miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cU.S. military bases can sprawl tens of thousands of square miles, and as it stands now, there\u2019s no dynamic, high-bandwidth way for headquarters staff to track, and reliably remain in contact with, the security personnel patrolling this vast area,\u201d Adrien Robenhymer, Persistent\u2019s vice president of business development, said in a statement<\/a> March 1. \u201cThe first step will be to roll out ROP across Malmstrom, Minot, and F.E. Warren Air Force bases with eventually more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The installations are home to closely protected ICBMs, a segment of the U.S. nuclear arsenal some advocacy groups have called superfluous or provocative. Sensitive facilities like Malmstrom were flown over by a Chinese spy ballon in February, though exactly what information was sought or collected is not publicly clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\t