SAIC to move WMD tool to Web, laptop

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The United States is moving a system for detecting weapons of mass destruction to a Web-based portal.

The new portal can be used on a laptop as well.

Science Applications International Corp., announced late Thursday it had received a three-year contract from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, or DTRA, for the second phase of the Integrated Weapons of Mass Destruction Toolset, or IWMDT, project.

The pact includes a five-year option that could bring its total value to nearly $54 million, San Diego-based SAIC said in a news release. The company will be the lead systems integrator and expand the work performed on Phase I of the project.

"SAIC remains 100 percent committed to supporting the DTRA mission and enhancing their capabilities for agile, collaborative planning," said Senior Vice President Deborah James.

The goal of the IWMDT project is to provide first-responders and other emergency officials to quickly access data on response and assessment in situations involving chemical, biological and nuclear threats as well as conventional explosives.

A Web-based capability will enable a wide range of users to quickly access standardized plans and procedures while in the field using a standard Internet connection. The system can also be updated quickly from a central location.