In the government contract industry news, CPI Aerostructures announced that 2009 new contract awards approximated $23.4 million. Of this amount, approximately $10.6 million, $6.9 million and $5.8 million were government prime contract awards, government subcontract awards and commercial subcontract awards, respectively.

As reported last month, CPI Aero received two contracts from Lockheed Martin Corporation to produce aircraft structural assemblies for the U.S. Navy’s P-3 “Orion” aircraft. With other orders and Spirit AeroSystems contract adjustments for the Gulfstream G650 business jet, fourth quarter awards added $8.4 million to the $15.0 million of new orders as of September 30, 2009.

Edward J. Fred, CPI Aero’s CEO & President, noted, “It is important to note that although the total new orders for 2009 as a whole, were down considerably from 2008’s record level of $55.4 million, orders in the fourth quarter were significantly higher compared to the previous quarters of the year, a trend which we hope continues in 2010. These orders include work on multi-year programs with significant option and follow-on potential.”

He went on to say, “We expect 2010 to be another year of growth and we plan to issue our guidance when we announce results for the 2009 fourth quarter and year.”

Dell Perot Systems announced today that its Fairfax, Va. – based Government Services Business Unit was awarded the Rock Island Arsenal contract – a five-year, $42 million agreement to provide command, control, communications, computer and information management (C4IM) services to the Army arsenal. Recently acquired by Dell Corporation, Perot Systems has been providing services to the Rock Island Arsenal for the past four years, helping the base accomplish a number of leading Army IT initiatives including consolidating the base’s Directorate of Information Management (DOIM) centers into a single DOIM while simultaneously migrating the base’s networks to the Army’s first Area Processing Center (APC). The successful APC migration was one of the first of its kind in CONUS [the contiguous 48 U.S. states] and created a process blueprint for future installations. The successful migration has also helped the base improve service delivery as well as strengthen security by reducing entry points.

Lee Carrick, Vice President of Dell Perot Systems’ Government Services Unit had this to say about the contract, “We’re excited about the Army’s decision to award us with this contract and look forward to continuing to provide the Rock Island Arsenal with the highest quality of service. We’re also proud to have been one of the first teams to help the Army migrate a base to the APC, which gave us a firsthand knowledge of the challenges that arise in migrations and how to avoid or resolve those issues during future migrations.”

For the new contract, Dell Perot Systems will continue to provide network operations, desktop services, email, information assurance, telephones, and connectivity to long-haul communications.

The U.S. Air Force awarded Alion Science and Technology, an employee-owned technology solutions company, a task order valued at $1.9 million to enhance the safety of flight-critical airframe structures. To support the Air Force’s efforts to modernize, the program will focus on improving non-destructive inspection (NDI) methods used to evaluate the integrity of fielded aircraft structures. NDI is employed to identify defects in materials and structures under various conditions without harming the component’s integrity during the inspection process.

The NDI Improvement Program Phase II task order was awarded under the Advanced Materials, Manufacturing and Testing Information Analysis Center (AMMTIAC) contract. On this task order, Alion will evaluate more than 125 inspections and recommend improvements to current NDI procedures. Additionally, Alion will develop new inspection tools and validate their performance through a probability of detection study. The study will determine the likelihood of finding defects, such as cracks, and will help accelerate the transition of new technology and inspection equipment.

This award follows Alion’s independent audit of NDI procedures on flight-critical structures across the Air Force fleet. During this previous effort Alion recommended improvements to more than 90 NDI procedures and developed two new NDI tool kits with more than 20 new NDI probes.

“Alion’s non-destructive inspection expertise, experience and procedure audits will help the Air Force enhance its inspectors’ abilities to more reliably detect structural defects. This in-turn will improve safety fleet-wide,” said Chris Amos, Alion Senior Vice President and Manager of the Technology Solutions Group. “Alion’s subject matter experts will support the development and validation of new NDI technology, such as probes and tool kits, which will lead to modernizing the Air Force’s inspection procedures and tools.”

With the economy on the rebound, it is great to see aerospace stocks leading the way with shares of publicly traded companies making great strides for the first time in several years.

And one of the key reasons why these companies are growing is due to the defense contracts that the government is supplying to the industry. Forbes had this to say about the economic rebound,

“So, how to hedge your bet? With economic recovery now a fact, the mixed suppliers such as Boeing and Rockwell-Collins, which derive about half their business from defense programs, should do pretty well even under the big cut case. The 787 Dreamliner ramp should offset most defense stagnation, which in the case of Boeing came in the form of numerous big-ticket weapons system cancellations last year. Without a successful 787, Boeing would be in a world of hurt but it now looks full speed ahead.”

Some of the brigh spots in the aerospace industry are:

• United Technologies (UTX)
• Goodrich (GR)
• Precision Castparts (PCP)
• BE Aerospace (BEAV)
• Spring AeroSystems
• Hexel (HXL)

As the war expands, it appears that the current rebound is simply the start of a great expansion in the aerospace marketplace.

Rome Research Corporation (RRC), a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation, announced that it has been awarded a $46.0 million contract for research and development, testing and evaluation expertise to operate the far field antenna test ranges, anechoic chambers, other laboratory facilities for the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate and conduct exercises and training missions on Air Force fielded technologies in combat. Under the five-year contract, work will be performed at the Air Force Research Laboratory facilities located in Rome, Newport, and Stockbridge, NY, and other field locations.

“Rome Research Corporation is proud of its long-term technical partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Rome, New York. Our company was founded to provide research and development services to the laboratory,” commented Steve Lynch., President of PAR’s Government Operations. “As the mission of the AFRL Information Directorate has evolved, Rome Research has adapted and expanded its capabilities along with it. The innovative technical solutions we provide will enable the Air Force Research Laboratory to fulfill its mission to meet the Air Force’s unique requirements for Information Dominance and its transition to aerospace systems. We are pleased to continue to provide assistance to the AFRL in meeting its continuous and critical mission.”

AeroVironment announced that it received a $23,926,917 firm fixed-price order under an existing contract. This contract modification comprises digital Raven systems and kits to upgrade existing analog Raven systems currently being used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps with AV’s digital data link.

“We began deliveries of digital Raven systems at the end of October, and are increasing production in response to customer demand,” said John Grabowsky, AV executive vice president and general manager of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. “Our digital data link uses the frequency spectrum allocated to small UAS much more efficiently than the analog link it replaces. As a result, digital Raven systems allow our customers to increase significantly the number of Raven air vehicles that can be used in a given area, as well as provide greater communication security through signal encryption, and enable valuable new capabilities such as beyond line-of-site operation. Digital Raven systems will directly benefit ground forces by helping them operate more effectively and safely, wherever and whenever they need them.”

Full funding for this contract modification was provided by a United States Department of Defense supplemental funding bill. The total potential value of this order is $66.6 million, of which $42.7 million is not yet funded but has been added to the maximum potential value of the contract supporting this program.

UMass Lowell will receive $4 million for nanomanufacturing research and development under a defense appropriations bill passed by Congress this month.

“UMass Lowell is the place to go for nanotech-based products that will work in battlefield conditions,” said Chancellor Marty Meehan. “The sensors developed will be the proverbial canary in a coalmine for soldiers – determining whether an area is free of biological or chemical substances. This life-saving work could not continue without support from Sens. John Kerry and Paul Kirk and Rep. Niki Tsongas.”

Also under development are mechanisms for detecting structural damage in vehicles like helicopters. Rather than replace helicopter rotors on a scheduled basis, for example, monitors detect when damage begins and replacement should occur, resulting in cost savings for the military.

“Under Chancellor Meehan’s leadership, UMass Lowell is leading the nanotech revolution among educational institutions. This investment will help the university continue developing cutting-edge technologies that will keep our state at the forefront of scientific discovery,” said Kerry.

“I commend UMass Lowell for its impressive leadership on multifunctional sensors,” said Kirk. “Few things are more important than coming up with better ways to ensure that our brave men and women are as safe as possible. This state-of-the-art technology will help protect our soldiers on the battlefield. I couldn’t be more pleased that federal funds are going to this worthwhile project.”

“This funding for further development of nanotechnology sensors will help better protect our servicemen and women, while simultaneously creating new opportunities for UMass Lowell students,” said Tsongas. “Chancellor Meehan should be recognized for pursuing these federal funds and helping to place the university at the forefront of this groundbreaking field.”

The Army Research Laboratory in Hyattsville, Md., and Natick Labs are partners on the sensor and health monitoring research. Commercial applications are likely to emerge. Companies that could benefit include Raytheon, Textron and Triton.

Funding will also help equip the university’s $80 million Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, which breaks ground this spring and is expected to spur about 300 new jobs over the next five years. The facility will house R&D translating the promise of nanotechnology into products.

SGI, a company that provides HPC and data center solutions, has announced that deciBel Research, a high-technology company that provides advanced radar systems and sensor technologies to the U.S. Department of Defense, has purchased ICE Cube, SGI’s modular data center. ICE Cube will support the U.S. Army’s Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) program with containerized computing.

deciBel Research ordered two 20-foot ICE Cube containers for their extreme compute density, reduced operating cost benefits and compelling deployment advantages. The modular data centers will serve as radar stimulators and as platforms for on-site simulations, evaluation exercises and training, and performance testing for the JLENS program.

“SGI’s ICE Cube was the best suited data center for deciBel Research’s high performance computing requirements for JLENS with regard to design, footprint and affordability; its 20’ x 8’ form factor perfectly meets the Army’s requirement for being easily deployable,” said Dr. Bassem R. Mahafza, president and founder of deciBel Research. “Other key ICE Cube decision factors include its highly efficient cooling system as well as its ability to comfortably accommodate a small IT team within the container itself. We are confident that ICE Cube is the perfect data center for JLENS’ needs.”

ICE Cube cooling systems operate entirely inside the container – a leading, necessary innovation important to the program in light of the arid desert climates in which it will be deployed. Its 10-ton chiller not only cools the onboard computer equipment but also the data center technicians who will work in the communications and operations areas within ICE Cube.

“We are proud that SGI is part of this important defense program,” said Tony Carrozza, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at SGI. “This ICE Cube deployment further proves that SGI offers the most innovative containerized data center solutions for the most demanding computing environments.”

Tetra Tech announced that it has been awarded a $63 million task order to provide architect/engineering (A/E) services for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of sustainable infrastructure development programs in Afghanistan. This five-year program is Tetra Tech’s first major award under the USAID global A/E infrastructure services contract announced in October 2008.

“At this critical time in America’s involvement with Afghanistan, Tetra Tech is pleased to support USAID’s mission in the country,” said Dan Batrack, Tetra Tech’s CEO and Chairman.

Working with the USAID Office of Infrastructure, Engineering, and Energy, Tetra Tech will identify, plan, design, and provide engineering support for urban and rural water supply and sanitation systems; vertical structures including schools and government facilities; power transmission and generation projects; and transportation systems, among other development-related projects nationwide.

The American people, through the USAID, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

Nanocomp Technologies announced it has been awarded an extension to its existing development contract with the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts. The new contract modifies one signed in August 2008 between the parties to develop carbon nanotube materials for the purpose of improving body armor.

Earlier in 2009, Nanocomp successfully stopped 9MM bullets in controlled ballistics testing with CNT composite panels several millimeters thick. The company will use the funding to further develop and refine its CNT products with the goal of expanding upon these encouraging initial results.

“We have worked with the Army Natick Soldier Systems Center for the past several years and have made significant progress toward the ultimate goal of delivering lighter weight, advanced body armor solutions for U.S. servicemen and women,” said Peter Antoinette, president and CEO of Nanocomp Technologies. “But there is still plenty of work left to do and today’s announcement underscores the Army’s clear commitment to continue the development of next-generation body armor.”

“When fully proven, this advance could also supply lightweight armor protection for vehicles and aircraft,” he said.

Nanocomp Technologies produces large area CNT sheets and conductive yarns for a number of additional military applications, including EMI shielding and a lighter weight replacement for copper wiring in aerospace electrical systems, which would yield significant savings in fuel costs.