Delivery order award continues protection for deployed troops

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. William Stratemeyer
  • Force Protection program office
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Life Cycle Management Center's Force Protection program office recently awarded a $27.3 million delivery order to ensure the safety of deployed service members.

The Air Forces Central Command operational readiness support delivery order was awarded to L-3 National Security Solutions and will provide for the maintenance and support of Intrusion Detection Systems that protect service members against enemy attacks while deployed. The systems allow personnel to detect, assess and respond well before an intruder becomes an actual threat to the safety and security of personnel and assets.

"This is the largest delivery order to date on the Force Protection Security Systems contract and is our top priority to the warfighter," said Patrick Dagle, Force Protection chief. "Any disruption to the essential support being provided could have a serious impact to the Air Force security forces mission to secure and protect personnel and assets located throughout the Southwest Asia area of responsibility."

Over the course of nearly three years, the contract will fund system maintenance, reconfiguration, and the management of a large forward supply warehouse which supports work for 10 bases within the Southwest Asia area of responsibility. The contractor will also be responsible for the rapid deployment and reconfiguration of tactical and fixed security systems at bases throughout the AOR as they expand, shrink or close in conjunction with mission changes or drawdowns.

In addition, the contractor will install security systems when new operations begin, and ensure these systems provide security forces situational awareness of what is going on both on and around the base using a combination of state-of-the-art all weather detection and assessment systems.

"These combinations will make sure warfighters in areas of responsibility have the most up-to-date and secure protection available," said Dagle.

The systems will also help ease the burden put on security forces units overseas as the imagers, cameras and high tech sensors act as force multipliers, extending every base defender's ability to detect, assess and respond to potential threats.

The cost of this effort marks a significant decrease in price when compared to past efforts accomplishing the same or similar work.

These cost savings were accomplished using the techniques outlined in the Defense Department's "Better Buying Power" initiative. By effectively using an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, or IDIQ, contract, the Force Protection program office was able to foster competition between three qualified contractors with proven records of past performance.

"Using the IDIQ contract also allowed the office to award this work using a thorough yet shortened selection process time, which allowed award without any schedule delays or gaps in service to the AOR," said Maj. Gregory Dandeles, program manager.

A Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract type was also used, allowing the flexibility required to handle the many unknown variables inherent in operating in a war zone.

"This delivery order will provide our deployed men and woman a secure place from which they may conduct critical operations," said Dagle.