HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- An effort between the 350th Electronic Systems Group here and one of its small-business partners has yielded a big pay-off for U.S. and coalition forces waging the Global War on Terror.
The Afghanistan-based fusion center they developed has helped officials seize more than 45 tons of narcotics and boosted the related arrest rate by 75 percent.
"It is gratifying to know that a small contract action can have such a large impact supporting our warfighters in the Global War on Terror," said Col. Steven Webb, 350th Electronic Systems Group commander.
The Counter Narcotics-Terrorism Intelligence Fusion Center is a commercial-off-the-shelf-based system designed to capture, share and disseminate Counter Narcotics-Terrorism intelligence data. Information gathered by Global Positioning Systems, human intelligence and coalition partners furnish the Intelligence Fusion Center's database, specially tailored for the Counter Narcotics-Terrorism mission.
The primary Afghanistan system operates from a location in Kabul. It works with and is linked to the Drug Enforcement Administration's Center for Drug Information.
The birth of the Intelligence Fusion Center system came in late 2004, when U.S. Central Command determined a requirement to support the Counter Narcotics-Terrorism mission in Afghanistan based on a connection between narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons and terrorist activity. The Air Force is the lead service for counter narcotics detection and monitoring, and supports the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counter Narcotics through Air Combat Command.
Existing intelligence gathering and sharing capabilities in Afghanistan were limited, making it difficult to share data with U.S. and coalition partners. That's when the Electronic Systems Center established a small-business contract with Cambridge Communications Systems, Inc., to deploy the system to Afghanistan.
"This contractor had a proven track record in this arena, and a small business, set-aside contract was the fastest way to get the capability to the field," said Colonel Webb.
Today the system has proven its power by enabling the seizure of drugs with a street value of more than $1 billion. In addition to increased arrests, the system has helped strengthen relations with the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan.
"Not only does this support our warfighters and our coalition partners in the war on terror, but it also provides an opportunity for Afghans to be an integral part of the team in defending their own country," the colonel said.
Efforts to thwart continued drug operations have reached beyond the borders of the Middle Eastern country. The IFC has supported the identification and break up of narcotics and weapons smuggling rings operating within Afghanistan, but led by suspects from Nigeria, Thailand, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Zambia and South Africa.
Additionally, the system's use produced more than 80 SIM cards -- subscriber identity modules, a portable memory chip in cell phones -- via the Afghan police. The cards are currently providing the best leads for identifying and breaking up new smuggling rings outside of the country.
"This system allows for the breaking up of narcotics and weapon smuggling rings, and that removes weapons and money from enemy forces," said Colonel Webb. "Furthermore, it enables the host nation to build up its counter narcotics capabilities, as well as work as an equal with coalition forces in a joint environment."
Eventually the Intelligence Fusion Center will expand to further support counter terrorism enforcement by increasing the database's speed and enhancing the exchange of data between coalition partners and host nations.
"At the end of the day, it will improve upon warfighter capabilities by providing accurate information at a much faster rate of speed, and that's what will aid the warfighter in executing this counter narcotics mission in the war on terror," Colonel Webb said.