Employee-owned firm to supply IT for US Army

MCLEAN, US:The constantly shifting nature of asymmetric warfare means that U.S. soldiers require frequent updates to the technologies they use in-theater. To help meet these quickly-evolving needs, Alion Science and Technology, an employee-owned technology solutions company, was awarded a $30 million contract to support the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) in assessing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and government-off-the-shelf (GOTS) solutions to enhance the ability of soldiers to survive and succeed in combat.

Under the three-year contract, Alion will serve as systems integrator and evaluator of system performance. Alion will perform a full range of engineering, reliability and risk assessments, and will also conduct operational tests in a combat environment within six to nine months from the REF’s receipt of an urgent United States Central Command requirement.

“Alion’s ability to identify and assess leading-edge technology is critical to closing the capability gaps faced by warfighters,” said Chris Amos, Alion Senior Vice President and Manager of the Technology Solutions Group. “We will reach out to the military, industrial, academic and scientific communities to find existing and emerging solutions.”

Amos explained that Alion will be seeking out those solutions that enhance survivability, effectiveness and more efficient fuel use in theater, adding, “Whether these technologies are off-the-shelf or still in the latter stages of development, our team of experts will recommend the systems that can best support warfighters in combat.”

The work was awarded as a task order under the Defense Technical Information Center’s WSTIAC contract with the period of performance through Sept. 14, 2014.

WSTIAC, operated by Alion, is one of the nine Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Information Analysis Centers (IACs). The IACs house libraries of information that are focused on specific technology areas, in addition to providing technical expertise in these areas. DTIC is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, VA, and serves the Department of Defense (DoD) by providing access to scientific and technical information for DoD personnel and contractors, including researchers, designers and engineers.