Air Force chooses 46 firms for nearly $1B weapons testing tech contract

The Air Force has awarded 46 companies positions on a five-year, $999.5 million contract vehicle to develop technologies for testing and evaluating weapons systems.

Companies will compete for delivery orders to provide what the Air Force terms "highly-specialized technologies" for T&E efforts focused on munitions, electronic combat platforms and systems in C5ISR — command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

The Air Force received a total of 49 bids for this second iteration of the Test & Evaluation Technologies for Ranges, Armaments & Spectrum vehicle.

The Defense Department's Thursday awards digest listed these winners:

• Advanced Strategic Insight
• Aegis Aerospace
• AI Signal Research
• Alion Science and Technology (acquired by HII in 2021)
• Altagrove
• Applied Research Associates
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Calspan
• CFD Research
• Colsa
• Cummings Aerospace
• Decibel Research
• Dynetics, a subsidiary of Leidos
• EH Group
• FAAC Inc.
• Flight Test & Mechanical Solutions
• GaN Corp.
• Georgia Tech Applied Research Corp.
• IERUS Technologies
• Integration Innovation Inc.
• Intuitive Research and Technology Corp.
• Jacobs
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
• Laulima Systems
• LinQuest
• Millennium Space Systems (a subsidiary of Boeing)
• Modern Technology Solutions Inc.
• Nou Systems
• Oaklea Simpson Security
• PeopleTec
• Radiance Technologies
• Raven Defense
• Rogue Industries
• Saab
• Serco Group's U.S. subsidiary
• Sigmatech
• Signalink
• Solutions Through Innovative Technologies
• Solytics
• Strategos Consulting
• Technology Security Associates
• Templar
• Torch Technologies
• Trident Research
• Wavelink
• Yulista Integrated Solutions

Iteration number one of TETRAS went to 14 companies in 2017 at a $998 million ceiling, but the Air Force used lowest-price technically acceptable criteria to make those awards. TETRAS II appears to be more based on best-value.

Based on GovTribe data, every incumbent of significance was selected for the new vehicle. TETRAS I has seen approximately 47% of the ceiling obligated to-date, while Intuitive Research and Technology Corp. has received the largest volume of orders on the current contract at $204 million.