Amentum this week said it has received a potential five-year, $259.8 million contract to support the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s efforts to demonstrate and evaluate counter-unmanned systems (C-UAS) technologies and systems.
The size of the contract is huge by DHS S&T standards but none of the funding is guaranteed. DHS is seeking $26.2 million for S&T in fiscal year 2023 for C-UAS research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E).
S&T in 2022 conducted evaluations of systems and technology to detect, track and identify small UAS and other aircraft in mountainous and plains environments.
Under the contract, Amentum will support S&T’s C-UAS portfolio, which is led by program manager Shawn McDonald in support of the department’s components.
Amentum’s research and development activities will include researching, developing and testing capabilities related to cyber vulnerabilities of C-UAS technologies, radio frequency spectrum measurements to enable safe integration of C-UAS equipment into the national airspace, integrating and evaluating new and emerging C-UAS and UAS technologies across various environments and terrains in the U.S., supporting the integration and deployment of prototype C-UAS systems across mission areas to obtain operational feedback, and enable rapid operational transition to DHS components performing authorized C-UAS missions.
In the area of UAS, Amentum supports the Air Force’s Air Combat Command in the command and control of UAS, and organizational maintenance, pilots and sensor operator aircrew for MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk systems.
The contract with DHS S&T was awarded under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s multiple award contract vehicles. Task orders under the contract vehicle are awarded by the Air Force’s 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, which supports the R&T and S&T communities.