The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] an initial contract of $120 million for the Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) Weapon System (WS) modernization program, according to a March 14 company statement.
The contract for the AOC WS has a potential value of $504 million over eight years if all options are exercised, according to a statement.
Jill Dawes, AOC program director for Northrop Grumman, said in an email Friday she expects Milestone B to be approved and that the company is “on its way toward a successful Preliminary Design Review in January 2013.”
AOC WS is the command and control center for planning, executing and assessing joint air operations during a contingency or conflict, according to a statement. Under the contract from the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass., the Northrop Gruuman-led team will modernize the AOC to enable “greater battle space awareness” and more effective, dynamic planning and execution, according to a statement.
AOC WS program objectives include improving the speed of command by automating information exchange, accelerating the integration of warfighter capabilities and significantly reducing lifecycle costs, according to a statement. Tasking under the entire contract includes, design, integration, test and delivery of a network-centric infrastructure and mission applications with fielding and sustainment at eight AOC sites, according to a statement.
AOC WS capabilities will be fielded to the Geographic Air and Space Operations Centers, a help desk at Langley AFB, Va., and the Formal Training Unit at Hurlburt Field, Fla., according to the Defense Department.