Pentagon Awards $96 Million in New Defense Contracts Thursday

The Department of Defense awarded seven defense contracts Thursday, worth a total of at least $96.2 million -- and potentially a whole lot more -- to the companies receiving contracts.

The big news of the day was of a significant expansion in the number of companies now permitted to bid on the Pentagon's $7 billion "green energy" project, which received so much attention last summer. Several new companies have now been added to the list of firms able to bid to sell the Pentagon power.

But a couple of more traditional "defense contractors" won awards, as well, namely:

• Engility won a $24.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, multiple-award contract to provide engineering and technical support to the U.S. Navy's Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division. Engility's efforts will include work on ways to defeat improvised explosive devices. Work on this contract is expected to be complete by February 2017.
• Lockheed Martin was awarded a $9.5 million contract modification related to Lot VI of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters that it is current producing under a "Low Rate Initial Production" regime. These funds will be used to do "Netherlands-specific" work on planes destined to be sold to the Dutch military, including by funding the procurement of Autonomic Logistics Information Systems equipment. This contract will wrap up in April 2015.