Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office Advance Planning Briefing for Industry

This Advance Planning Briefing for Industry (APBI) forecasts the requirements anticipated for funding in Fiscal Year 2014 and advertised using a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).

CTTSO Mission

Identify and prioritize the needs of the interagency community charged with combating terrorism. Deliver capabilities to those on the front lines through rapid research, development, test, evaluation, and operational support. Incorporate available expertise and experience from government, commercial, private, and academic sources throughout the United States and the world.

CTTSO Structure

The Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) operates as a program office under the Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC).

Working closely with more than 100 government agencies, state, and local government, law enforcement organizations, and national first responders, the CTTSO leverages technical expertise, operational objectives, and interagency sponsor funding. This multi-agency, multi-user approach to resource and information sharing positions the CTTSO to gather front line requirements that service multiple users—a distinct advantage in the combating terrorism community.

CTTSO Programs

The CTTSO currently oversees the following programs focusing on different aspects of combating terrorism:

Technical Support Working Group (TSWG)
TSWG’s mission is to identify and prioritize the needs of the national interagency community through research and development programs for combating terrorism requirements. TSWG delivers capabilities to those on the front lines through rapid research and development, test and evaluation, while providing operational support. TSWG incorporates available expertise and experience from government, commercial, private, and academic sources throughout the United States and the world.

TSWG initiates efforts to influence longer-term research and development initiatives; and, reflecting the shift to a more offensive strategy, balance its technology and capability development efforts among the four pillars of combating terrorism: antiterrorism, counterterrorism, intelligence support, and consequence management.

TSWG operates under the policy oversight of the Department of State’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism and the management and technical oversight of the Department of Defense Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. While TSWG’s core funds are derived principally from CTTSO and DOS, other departments and agencies contribute additional funds and provide personnel to act as project managers and technical advisors. TSWG has successfully transitioned capabilities to the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, State, and Treasury; the Public Health Service; and many other departments and agencies.

Additionally, TSWG has transitioned many systems to state and local law enforcement. TSWG membership includes representatives from more than 100 government organizations. Participation is open not only to federal departments and agencies, but also to first responders and appropriate representatives from state and local governments and international agencies. These departments and agencies work together by participating in one or more subgroups. TSWG’s ten subgroups are chaired by senior representatives from federal agencies with special expertise in those functional areas.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Low-Intensity Conflict (EOD/LIC)
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Low-Intensity Conflict (EOD/LIC) program provides explosive ordnance disposal technicians and special operations forces operators with the advanced technologies and mission-focused solutions required to address current and emerging threats presented by unconventional and asymmetric warfare.

Irregular Warfare Support (IWS)
The Irregular Warfare Support (IWS) program’s mission is to develop adaptive and agile ways and means to support irregular warfare in the current and evolving strategic environments. Identify materiel and non-materiel solutions via operational analysis, concept development, field experimentation, and spiral delivery capabilities to defeat the motivations, sanctuaries, and enterprises of targeted state and non-state actors.