Alion wins $2m US Army ASE contract

With Army Aviators facing an increased threat from infrared guided missiles, the military is continually seeking to improve detection and countermeasures systems. To meet this need, Alion Science and Technology, an employee-owned technology solutions company, has won a three-year, $2 million award from the US Army Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) project office to support the ongoing design and development of Army aircraft countermeasures systems.

The Army is upgrading its Advance Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) system with the new Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system. Both of these laser-based systems are designed to be fully integrated with military service aircraft countermeasures equipment suites that include passive missile warning and detection; however, CIRCM is required to be smaller, lighter and more reliable.

Alion has supported the ASE project office since 2006. Under the new contract, Alion will provide subject matter expertise to analyze competing designs for CIRCM to assure that system reliability and availability requirements are achieved and that the system can be produced to comply with requirements. Alion will also provide recommendations pertaining to system testing, test failures and failure investigations.

"Aircraft survivability equipment protects the people who safeguard our nation," said Chris Amos, Alion Senior Vice President and Manager of the Technology Solutions Group. "Improvements to these systems not only provide additional security for the warfighter but also offer pilots the ability to be autonomous. Aircrews do not have to divert their attention from their primary mission to counter a Man-Portable Air Defense System or other missile threat."

The work was awarded as a task order under the Defense Technical Information Center's WSTIAC contract.

WSTIAC, operated by Alion, is one of the nine Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Information Analysis Centers (IACs). The IACs house libraries of information that are focused on specific technology areas, in addition to providing technical expertise in these areas. DTIC is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, VA, and serves the Department of Defense (DoD) by providing access to scientific and technical information for DoD personnel and contractors, including researchers, designers and engineers.

WSTIAC's work is sponsored by the DTIC, ATTN: DTIC-I, 8725 John J. Kingman Rd., Ste. 0944, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6218.

Source: Alion