Alion to assist DOD threat-protection agency

Alion Science and Technology Corp. will provide threat-protection technology assistance to the Defense Department under a follow-on award worth $21.8 million.

The contract calls for Alion to support the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s mission of safeguarding the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives. DTRA also provides capabilities to reduce, eliminate and counter threats and mitigate their effects.

Alion and its partners will examine nuclear detection technologies that can lead to more robust capabilities in that area. Alion’s experts will formulate work plans, monitor research and assess progress and provide a performance assessment of game-changing technologies with high-risk, high-reward profiles, company officials said.

“Our work will help DTRA with formulating long-range research projects and uncovering those with the greatest potential benefits to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons,” said Sue Archer, Alion senior vice president and Operational Solutions Group manager.

Alion’s partners are the University of Michigan, Kansas State University, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Proportional Technology Inc., Orbis Inc. and Ausgar Inc. The period of performance runs through Dec. 17, 2011.

This follow-on task order stems from the DTRA Arms Control indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that Alion was awarded in February 2002.

Alion, of McLean, Va., is an employee-owned company that ranks No. 31 on Washington Technology’s 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.