U.S. Navy Examines Covert Audio Surveillance Systems

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

The U.S. Navy division which helps administer the DHS “System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders” program, known as the SAVER, is soliciting market research information from suppliers of body-worn covert audio surveillance systems and small-platform tactical robots. In each instance, the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has asked vendors to describe in detail their commercial off-the-shelf products.

According to Government Security News In one case, SPAWAR wants to hear from the makers of “body worn acoustic surveillance” systems. “Systems must be commercially available audio transmitters that operate within a frequency band of 150-174 MHz,” says a special notice, which SPAWAR published on December 18. These systems must operate within a bandwidth that is 12.5 kHz compliant, the notice adds. “They must not be encrypted or disguised/pre-concealed.”

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

SPAWAR officials will conduct “objective assessments and validations” of both the acoustic surveillance gear and the robots. This information will be shared with the first responder community. Suppliers of the acoustic surveillance gear have until January 13, 2014 to respond to SPAWAR’s request for information.