Air Force contracts for SIPRNet upgrades

RESTON, Va., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has contracted Northrop Grumman to support a security solution upgrade for the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network.

U.S. company Northrop Grumman was awarded the contract from the Air Force Combat Information Transport System Program Management Office located at Hanscom Air Force Base.

Under the $17.6 million network centric solutions phase II task order, Northrop Grumman will support the integration of the Host Based Security System 3.0 upgrade into the SIPRNet, the Defense Department's classified data transfer network.

"Our goal is to provide a fight-through capability for the warfighter so network attacks cannot bring down their systems," Jill Kale, Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector vice president of the defense enterprise solutions, said in a statement.

"Northrop Grumman has leveraged its experience, integration strength and the McAfee solution to provide a greatly enhanced cyber deterrence capability for the Air Force."