Weekly Roundup: Pentagon Launches Competition for $11.7B IT Contract; PAE Joins Alion on $896M Task Order; Leidos Secures Multiple Contracts; KBR Buys Centauri; CISA Unveils 5G Strategy

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Leidos Wins $292M Contract to Support FAA System Upgrades; Fran Hill Quoted

Leidos has been awarded a four-year, approximate $292 million prime contract by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to design and develop a system that will provide real-time access to weather, aeronautical, and National Airspace System (NAS) information, the company reported on Tuesday.

“Our job at Leidos is to help controllers do their work more efficiently. The new E-IDS will enable them to access standardized data, customize their displays and operate with two clicks or less,” said Fran Hill, senior vice president of Leidos Transportation Solutions.

Pentagon to Launch Competition for $11.7B ‘Defense Enclave Services’ IT Contract

The Department of Defense plans to release by the end of August a draft solicitation for a potential 10-year, $11.7B single-award contract for information technology support services, Bloomberg Government reported Tuesday.

“Our role here is to migrate these Defense Agencies from their legacy commodity IT networks to a single network we’re calling DoDNet, which DISA will operate,” program manager Col. Chris Autrey said during an industry day.

KBR to Buy Centauri for $800M; Stuart Bradie Quoted

KBR has agreed to acquire Chantilly, Va.-based technology services contractor Centauri from Arlington Capital Partners for approximately $800M in cash as part of efforts to strengthen its intelligence and military space businesses and expand its portfolio of defense modernization and cybersecurity offerings.

“The acquisition of Centauri firmly aligns with our strategy of increasing KBR’s highly technical, mission-focused, synergistic capabilities and enduring customer relationships,” said Stuart Bradie, president and CEO of KBR.

Ian Walsh to Succeed Neal Keating as Kaman President, CEO

Ian Walsh, former chief operating officer at REV Group and a nearly two-decade veteran of Textron, will join aerospace company Kaman to serve as president and CEO beginning Sept. 8.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with our experienced leadership team, the board and all of our team members to advance our strategic priorities, create a stronger company for our customers and employees and deliver long-term value for our shareholders,” Walsh said.

By Light to Support DISA’s Cloud Based Internet Isolation Program Under $199M OTA

By Light Professional IT Services has received a potential five-year, $198.9M other transaction agreement from the Defense Information Systems Agency to support a Department of Defense program that transfers internet browsing sessions to a cloud-based environment to prevent cyber threats.

The Cloud Based Internet Isolation program seeks to address congestion at internet access points and reduce the attack surface of DoD networks by isolating malicious content and code within the cloud.

Leidos to Support SOCOM Tactical Airborne Mission Under $649M Task Order; Gerry Fasano Quoted

Leidos will continue to help the U.S. Special Operations Command manage tactical airborne multisensor platforms through a five-year, $649M task order awarded under the U.S. Army’s Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services contract vehicle.

Gerry Fasano, president of Leidos’ defense group, said the company will work with SOCOM to facilitate tactical ISR efforts, integrate systems and maintain commercial aircraft for the STAMP mission.

FlightSafety Wins Potential $363M Navy Helicopter Aircrew Training Support IDIQ

FlightSafety International’s services business has won a potential $363.5M contract to train military aviation students on the U.S. Navy’s TH-73A helicopter training system at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Fla.

The company will provide flight training equipment and classroom instruction to help the branch produce at least 600 intermediate tiltrotor and advanced rotary-wing naval pilots annually

Army Awards 10 OTAs for Military Helicopter ‘Air Launched Effects’ Family of Systems

The U.S. Army’s aviation and missile technology consortium has awarded $29.8M in other transaction agreements to 10 projects with the goal of building a family of systems designed to provide mission effects for the Future Vertical Lift helicopter program.

The Army said Monday it divided the Air Launched Effects projects into air vehicle, mission system and payload categories that will form part of the Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft ecosystem.

CISA Unveils 5G Strategy; Christopher Krebs Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued a new strategy to ensure the resilience and security of the country’s 5G infrastructure. CISA’s 5G Strategy has five strategic initiatives that support the four lines of effort of the National Strategy to Secure 5G, the agency said Monday.

“The promise of 5G is undeniable, but with 5G technology posed to underpin a wide range of critical infrastructure functions, it’s vital that we manage these risks adequately and promote a trusted ecosystem of 5G componentry,” said CISA Director and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner Christopher Krebs.