
The Navy issued a long-awaited award on Wednesday for the full-rate production of the ship-based IT network known as CANES under a $2.5-billion contract arrangement designed to force five contractors to continuously compete for the work. The five companies are incumbent Northrop Grumman [NOC], General Dynamics [GD], BAE Systems, and smaller firms Global Technical Systems and Serco. Seven bids were submitted to Space and Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), the Navy’s San Diego-based acquisition command for the Consolidated Afloat Network and…