GAO gets more time to weigh in on AECOM's $82B Army LOGCAP protest

A federal judge overseeing the ongoing court case over the Army’s potential $82 billion LOGCAP V logistics contract has given the Government Accountability Office more time to weigh in on how it would have ruled in one protest over that award.

In a short three-sentence ruling Wednesday, Federal Claims Court Senior Judge Loren Smith granted GAO two more weeks to file its advisory opinion on AECOM’s protest against it not being selected for an award. The new due date for that opinion is Sept. 18 versus the prior deadline of Sept. 4 (today).

GAO was asked to give an opinion in the form of a decision it would have made had another protester, DynCorp International, not taken its own fight to court in early August. Per custom, GAO dismissed AECOM’s protest over missing out on LOGCAP V given the court has more authority to enforce decisions involving bid protests.

AECOM had sought and was denied its motion to join the DynCorp case as an intervenor with interest in the outcome. Oral arguments are scheduled for Nov. 21 in DynCorp’s case.

McLean, Virginia-based DynCorp's protest over missing out on the contract was denied by GAO in a July 31 ruling that is still sealed under a protective order.

The fifth iteration of the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program has an $82 billion ceiling over up to 15 years and thus led analysts to view this contract as one that resets the broader defense services market.

DynCorp is an incumbent on the current LOGCAP IV contract that expires next year and it contributes about one-fifth of the company’s overall revenue.