Air Force awards aircraft protection deal

The Air Force has chosen Science Applications International Corp. to assist in developing technologies that will help protect U.S. military aircraft under a five-year contract with a maximum value of $45.6 million.

The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity award from the Air Force calls for SAIC to support the research and development of new infrared countermeasure technologies for the Air Force Research Laboratory Electro-Optical Warfare Technical Analysis Effort II Program.

The new technologies developed and assessed by SAIC will help the Air Force protect military aircraft from surface-to-air and air-to-air missile threats, company officials said.

Under the contract, SAIC will help make operation and performance improvements to facilities, including their instrumentation, control and data processing equipment. The contractor also will perform analysis and vulnerability assessments of missile, sensor and spacecraft systems within the Dynamic Infrared Missile Evaluation Facility.

The program is managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Sensors Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The program promotes the discovery, development and integration of sensor and countermeasure technologies for the warfighter. Contract work will be performed primarily in Dayton, Ohio.