Alion awarded US NSWC contract

Alion Science and Technology has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) to support the development of unmanned and automated weapon systems for the US Navy. Under the $24 million contract, the company will provide technology development, integration and evaluation expertise.

According to the company, the work will include technical engineering to increase unmanned and automated weapon systems capabilities for such tasks as the implementation of unmanned systems payloads on commercial off the shelf (COTS) or existing non-developmental unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) with limited modifications. This work can include UUVs, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The NSWC PCD supports research development test and evaluation for weapon systems development associated with mine warfare, naval special warfare and amphibious/expeditionary maneuver warfare systems, and other littoral missions. This contract was awarded under the Defense Technical Information Center’s (DTIC’s) Weapon Systems Technology Information Analysis Center (WSTIAC) contract with the period of performance through September 2015.

Terri Spoonhour, group senior vice president and manager of the distributed simulation group, said: ‘The capabilities and prototype systems produced by Alion will be used by the navy and other homeland security-focused agencies such as the US Coast Guard, joint services and Department of Homeland Security. These technologies comprise configurations operating from several types of weapons platforms and other vehicles such as navy warships and experimental boats, explosive ordnance disposal operating craft and various other craft as well as shore-based facilities.’