Alion to help Army improve inventory systems

Alion Science and Technology Corp. will provide technology solutions to help the Army speed delivery of spare parts under a contract worth as much as $77 million.

Alion will develop just-in-time solutions for military vehicle, aircraft, and equipment parts and systems under a Manufacturing Process Technologies for Military Equipment Replacement on Demand contract from the Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.

The just-in-time inventory strategy uses technology to reduce in-process inventory and associated carrying costs and speeds delivery of spare parts to where they are needed most urgently.

The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract addresses the military's urgent need for hard-to-acquire and problem parts and systems to sustain and refurbish critical equipment, including vehicles, aircraft and other gear employed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, company officials said.

Alion will develop and deliver solutions to facilitate the return of equipment for servicing and re-engineer some essential parts to extend their life and reduce costs. The effort is an outgrowth of the Mobile Parts Hospital, a transportable factory Alion developed for parts fabrication. Three facilities operate in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

The ability to produce parts on demand should reduce turnaround time, said Scott Hofacker, the contracting officer's representative at the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, in an Alion statement released Nov. 24.

The contract began Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2013.

Alion, of McLean, Va., ranks No. 31 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.