The Air Force awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $70 million deal on Sept. 7 for engineering development models of ground terminals for the service’s Family of Above and Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) program, according to a Sept. 10 notice posted on Federal Business Opportunities.
The firm fixed price contract is for development, testing and production of engineering development models of air (E-4, E-6), ground fixed and transportable Command Post Terminals with Presidential and National Voice Conferencing. Work is to be completed by July 2013.
The Air Force declined to comment by press time. A Raytheon spokesman declined to comment.
The Air Force announced its intent to issue Raytheon this contract in a Sept. 4 Notice of Contract Action (NOCA) posted on Federal Business Opportunities. The service said in the NOCA a competitive solicitation for a full and open competition, with the exclusion of FAB-T prime contractor Boeing [BA], was issued April 25 and the only bidder was Raytheon. The Air Force has been concerned Boeing wouldn’t be able to provide the capabilities the service needs for FAB-T, so it restructured its contract with Boeing and reopened competition for an alternate source.
Boeing beat out Raytheon in the original FAB-T competition in 2002 (Defense Daily, June 12).