Air Force picks SI International for GPS work

SI International Inc. won a five-year, $11.5 million prime contract from the Air Force Space Command to support engineering, planning and programming for the Global Positioning System, the company said today.

The Global Positioning System is a navigation system that uses about 20 satellites distributed evenly around the Earth in 12-hour orbits. These satellites continually broadcast their positions, allowing for the accurate pinpointing of a location. The system is operated by the Air Force Space Command, which defends North America through its space and intercontinental ballistic operations.

Under the competitive task order, which is for one year and four one-year options, SI International will perform GPS modernization and military user equipment work.

In the area of space modernization, SI International has supported the North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command for more than 10 years.

Based in Reston, Va., SI International offers IT and network solutions primarily to the federal government. The company employs 3, 700 people and had 2004 revenue of $262.3 million. It is No. 66 on Washington Technology's 2004 Top 100 list of federal prime contractors.