The Air Force’s award on Tuesday to Northrop Grumman [NOC] of a contract for the next-generation ICBM system for the Air Force has given teammate L3Harris Technologies [LHX] an entrée into the Air Force training market for global strike systems, L3Harris said on Wednesday.
L3Harris said it will do system and software design for at least eight training systems, building on heritage businesses that have trained Air Force pilots, aircrew and maintainers for more than 90 years.
The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a potential $13 billion contract for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) nuclear missile system program over the next 10 years. The company was the sole bidder after Boeing [BA] dropped out of the competition.
“GBSD broadens L3Harris Technologies’ business to include ICBM missileers, maintainers and security forces,” the company said in a statement to Defense Daily. “L3Harris is developing a common computational platform that enhances training system modularity, commonality and cybersecurity across GBSD. These enhancements are expected to significantly reduce sustainment costs.”
L3Harris also said that its training support for GBSD will include a “collective trainer for leadership decision making based on the simulation of an advanced situational awareness environment.”
System development work on the training solutions will be done near Dallas, Texas, and hardware development in Tulsa, Okla. The training is expected to occur at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
L3Harris said it will also be providing support to other portions of the GBSD.