L-3, IBM team for Special Operations logistics contract

L-3 Communications will team with IBM Global Services in an effort to retain its logistics support contract with the U.S. Special Forces Command as the contract competition enters the final stretch.

Earlier this year Boeing Co. announced that it would team with CSC for the 10-year, multibillion-dollar contract, which should be awarded by the end of the year.

As incumbent contractor, L-3 Integrated Systems (L-3 IS), of Greenville, Texas, has supported the Special Operations Forces Support Activity (SOFSA) as prime contractor for two decades, company officials said. Under the existing contract, L-3 IS manages logistics operations for the Special Forces Command, its components, selected Defense Department customers and designated government agencies.

IBM brings to the team considerable expertise in enterprise management architectures, which are important to the program, L-3 IS officials said in a statement.

On the competing team, Boeing has experience with a number of other major government programs with requirements similar to SOFSA, Boeing officials said at the time of their announcement. As examples, they cited the Flexible Acquisition and Sustainment Tool, Integrated Weapon System Support, Future Combat Systems and C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership programs.

Among the other contractors that attended an industry day held in June were BAE Systems Inc., Dynamics Research Corp., General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co. and Science Applications International Corp.

The logistics support activity is located at a government-owned, contractor-operated site in Lexington, Ky., with additional facilities and equipment positioned at various strategic areas around the country. The incumbent contractor is responsible for providing services in nine core areas, including aviation-related maintenance, communications equipment and electronic repair, life-cycle sustainment and logistics automation.

L-3 ranks No. 8 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.