Lockheed Martin chosen as Air Force's AOC weapon system integrator By Michael Sirak Defense Daily September 14, 2006 The Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin [LMT] in a hard-fought competition to help the service maintain its global network of air and space operations centers (AOC) and upgrade them from disparate configurations into a homogeneous interoperable, network-centric enterprise, both parties said yesterday. The consortium beat out rival bids by General Dynamics [GD] and Northrop Grumman [NOC]. Lockheed Martin received a $589 million contract on Sept. 12 from the Air Force's Electronic Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom AFB, Mass., to serve as the AOC weapon system integrator (WSI). As such, it will aid the Air Force over the next three years in the modernization of AOC sites worldwide as well as in their management, fielding and sustainment. "Our team is honored to support the Air Force in this transformational effort," Stan Sloane, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin's Integrated Systems & Solutions business area, said in a statement. "With our customer we'll evolve today's AOCs into integrated net-centric operations, incorporating essential combat capabilities that will enable joint and coalition warfighters to continue to dominate command and control in future conflicts, while improving operational efficiencies." The three-year base contract has priced options for two additional years that could bring the total value of work over five years to approximately $1 billion, according to the Air Force. Further, there are unpriced options for five additional years beyond that, which would bring the contract's total estimated value to $2 billion. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems in Colorado Springs, Colo., leads the team, which includes Raytheon [RTN], SAIC, Computer Sciences Corporation [CSC], Dynamics Research Corporation, Gestalt, IBM [IBM], Intelligent Software Solutions, and L-3 Communications [LLL]. When asked for a reaction to the Air Force's decision, a GD spokeswoman said it is inappropriate to comment at this time. Northrop Grumman spokesman Jim Stratford said, "We are disappointed with the outcome and expect to receive a debrief with the Air Force next week." Currently the Air Force has 19 AOCs spread out at home and in strategic locations across the globe like the Middle East and East Asia. It intends to increase that number to 23 (Defense Daily, May 23). Five of them, known as Falconer AOCs, provide joint and coalition air component commanders in regional theaters with real-time, common operational views of the battlespace. From them, these commanders manage air campaigns and direct space support and information operations activities. "It is the planning and execution engine of any air campaign," ESC says of an AOC. Six AOC sites support activities to protect the U.S. homeland and support specialized missions like space and mobility. Twelve AOCs serve support roles and are used for training, testing and technical support, while several serve as backups. Air Force Capt. Tony Monnat, the WSI deputy program manager, said the overall objective of the WSI is "to improve AOC weapon system operational effectiveness and efficiency." Currently, while the AOCs share some functions, they use different systems, operating procedures and personal requirements, according to Lockheed Martin's WSI statement. "The AOC WSI effort will evolve this heterogeneous infrastructure into a standardized, seamless, integrated enterprise," the company said. "This will enable interoperability across the AOCs for faster access to intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting and other important operational data. It will provide a common technical baseline for efficient and cost-effective technology upgrades while reducing the cost and footprint for deployed personnel and material." Lockheed Martin said its AOC WSI team will "take full advantage" of the company's Center of Innovation in Suffolk, Va., relying on the facility's sophisticated analysis, modeling and simulation tools rapidly to assess potential improvements to AOC operating concepts, processes and systems. The Air Force designated the AOC as a weapon system in 2000, meaning it established a manner for how the centers would be equipped and employed, and for how personnel would be trained and rated to work within them. It fielded the first AOC in 2001 and began its quest for an AOC WSI in 2003. The first common AOC configuration was fielded at seven sites last year. (Archives)