Lockheed, GD mull pursuit of $6B intell contract

Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Dynamics Corp. are among the large contractors studying the Defense Intelligence Agency's draft request for proposals for its $6.6 billion Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise (SITE) contract.

According to the draft RFP, released last week, DIA officials plan to release the final RFP in September and award four large-business contracts and four more indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts to small businesses by March 2009.

SITE task orders will be open to Defense Department intelligence components; the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps; and non-DOD intelligence agencies.

The solicitation is unrestricted, but to be considered, large businesses "shall include small businesses as team members, to include partnerships and mentor/protégé arrangements," the draft RFP states.

"Lockheed Martin is interested, and [officials] are looking at the draft RFP," said Mary Phillips, a company spokeswoman. "They'll [then] make a determination on whether they will bid." She declined to say when the company might make a decision.

General Dynamics, which won the Air Force's $2 billion Intelligence Information, Command and Control Equipment and Enhancement (ICE2) contract in 2003, is also interested in the DIA award. Air Force officials decided in May not to issue a follow-on contract and will instead wrap future IT work into the SITE contract.

"I can certainly confirm that General Dynamics Information Technology is positioned to prime the SITE opportunity, which as you know encompasses the ICE2 requirements," said Mark Meudt, vice president of communications and marketing at General Dynamics IT. "I think it's pretty clear that the success we've had delivering the various IT services to the Defense intelligence community should enable us to continue this effort as part of the government's SITE procurement."

Meudt said the company is planning to put together a team, but he could not go into details for competitive reasons.

Northrop Grumman Corp. "has not taken a position on the contract," said Janis Lamar, a company spokeswoman.

Other prime contractors did not respond to requests for comment.