GD wins subcontract to service littoral combat ships

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has won a contract from Austral USA to be the platform systems engineering agency for littoral combat ships 14 and 16.

Ships 14 and 16 are the fifth and sixth ships of the Independence-variant LCS to be ordered by the U.S. Navy under a 10-ship block buy contract awarded in December 2010 to Austal USA, the company said in a release.

TASC names new VP of Mission Solutions business

TASC Inc. has named Joseph Pacileo vice president of the company’s Mission Solutions business, where he will oversee TASC operations supporting its intelligence and cyber customers at Fort Meade.

Pacileo joins TASC from ManTech International Corp., where he served as vice president of Cyber Operations. Before ManTech, he was a director at Northrop Grumman, and also has served at the National Security Agency.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Davis, and a M.S.A. degree in administration from Central Michigan University.

Harris receives $26M order for Falcon III radios

Harris Corp. has received a $26 million order to distribute its Falcon III AN/PRC-117G multiband manpack tactical radios to the U.S. Marine Corps.

These radios form mobile ad-hoc communication networks to exchange voice, video and tactical data reports on the battlefield, Harris said.

Through this order, the Marine Corps will expand its wideband tactical networking capabilities and deliver the tactical Internet down to the individual warfighter.

Aquilent names chief marketing officer

Aquilent has named Helle Huxley chief marketing officer, where she will oversee the company’s marketing efforts.

Huxley will be responsible for all aspects of marketing, including branding, social media, advertising and public relations.

She will also direct new corporate marketing initiatives tied directly to customer communication goals and objectives.

Huxley was previously vice president of marketing for Management Concepts. Before that, she served as vice president of marketing at FedSources & WMG, which became Deltek’s GovWin, the company said in a release.

Lessons from Lockheed's $4.6B DISA GIG contract

More than two years in the making, and possibly worth $4.6 billion, the capture of the Global Information Grid Services Management Operations contract last year was a highlight for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Information Systems and Global Solutions business.

They technically won the contract in May 2012 to manage the infrastructure of the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Global Information Grid, or GIG, but a protest by incumbent Science Applications International Corp. delayed the start of the contract until October.

Inside the engine that mines Twitter

In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Splunk4Good was actively involved in the relief efforts, and tracked social media activity to get help to storm victims.

The company married social media with big data to figure out where the relief was needed, and what kind of relief it needed to be, but it couldn’t have done this without the underlying technology from a company named Datasift.

Northrop teams with DHS to expand cybersecurity protections

Northrop Grumman has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Homeland Security Department to expand cybersecurity protections for the nation’s critical infrastructure.

The company is currently starting the security accreditation process required before approval to operate as a commercial services provider under the DHS Enhanced Cybersecurity Services program.

Three win Navy contracts to support shore networks

Three companies have won task order contracts with the U.S. Navy to support shore networks with sustainment services for the Base Level Information Infrastructure.

The winners and contract values are:

Booz Allen Hamilton -- $79.3 million
Science Applications International Corp. -- $73.2 million
Engility Corp. -- $67.8 million

Gnostech takes on Navy's global positioning, navigation facilities

Gnostech Inc. has won a $13 million task order contract to provide the U.S. Navy with services in support of the utilization and enhancement of Space and Naval Warfare System Center Pacific’s Global Positioning and Navigation Systems Division facilities.

The company will provide engineering, analysis and design efforts in support of the center’s facilities.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a base value of $7.7 million, and has two option years.

Work will be performed in San Diego, Los Angeles, and at Gnostech’s facility in Warminster, Pa., and is expected to be completed May 2016.

Northrop wins $555M Global Hawk contract

Northrop Grumman has won a $555.6 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to improve the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle.

The Global Hawk can carry a variety of surveillance and intelligence systems, including near real-time high resolution imagery and other reconnaissance capabilities.