BAE Systems is launching a Robotic Operations Center in NoVa

Arlington, Virginia-based BAE Systems, the U.S. arm of the international defense, aerospace and security giant, announced the launch of its Robotic Operations Center (ROC) in Northern Virginia.

The McLean-based center will be used to customize and deploy robotic software for U.S. defense and intelligence communities.

The ROC builds on BAE System’s already established partnership with UiPath, a robotics process automation (RPA) leader. The pair launched a partnership to develop suites of software robots that its customers can use to “automate high-volume, repetitive tasks,” per a press release.

We’re launching our new Robotic Operations Center at #DoDIIS19 – just one of the ways we’re bringing large-scale automation to critical national security IT. Want to learn more about the ROC & our partnership with UiPath? Check us out at @DoDIIS_WW. https://t.co/Jnhp7OgqSv pic.twitter.com/Lz2tQouZNL

— BAE Systems, Inc. (@BAESystemsInc) August 19, 2019

“RPA technology allows for automation of legacy and disparate IT systems, integration of business processes, and structuring of large data sets, which can improve efficiency and reduce operating costs,” said Jon Dorn, acting CTO of the BAE Systems Intelligence and Security sector, in the release. “We use our expertise in defense and intelligence to provide customers with a tailored solution that meets the highest security standards.”

The ROC will offer best practices and standards for software robots, as well as security and governance measures for both attended and unattended robots, to standardize and scale automation efforts. Customers can receive onsite assistance to deploy and implement software robots at their facilities.

“The ROC streamlines IT operations, helping customers to take advantage of the vast sea of information to improve responsiveness while reducing cost and security risk,” Peder Jungck, VP and general manager of intelligence solutions at BAE Systems, said in a statement. “The emphasis on security is driving a significant increase in the collection of data across the IT enterprise, giving analysts access to more data in greater detail than ever before.”

BAE Systems announced the new center during the 2019 DoDIIS Worldwide Conference in Tampa, Florida, happening through tomorrow.

This announcement comes a week after BAE Systems was awarded a Phase 2 contract to develop machine learning capabilities for the military’s space defense and awareness by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.