DTRA’s Counter-WMD R&DE: $220M to ARA

The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has a central role in addressing the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Their Research and Development Enterprise [PDF] is especially wide-ranging, covering everything from protective gear, to predictive and decision-support algorithms, to ScanEagle UAV variants that can monitor WMD levels, to co-operative non-proliferation programs, to development of new weapons like the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Some of this work has even led to commercial spinoffs, vid. Sanofi Pasteur’s acquisition of VaxDesign and its DARPA/DTRA-financed MIMC model: an in vitro tool capable of predicting human immune response to specific bio-threat agents.

Aug 29/11: Applied Research Associates, Inc. of Albuquerque, NM specializes in some of these areas, and in late August 2011 they won a maximum $220 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Test Operations, Technology and Test Support (TOTTS) to DTRA’s R&D Enterprise, Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Technology Directorate. ARA will provide end-to-end test event planning, management, safe execution, and results analysis. ARA has past experience with DTRA, including work on the ScanEagle BCAS project.

Bids were solicited on a full and open competitive basis and 2 were received by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in Albuquerque, NM (HDTRA2-11-D-0001). Work will be performed primarily in Albuquerque, NM and at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The contract is divided into a $102 million base from Aug 29/11-Aug 28/16; and a $118 million option from Aug 29/16-Aug 28/21.