Pentagon announces Nevada home to unmanned-aircraft project
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On April 6, 2017, as part of the Pentagon’s daily announcement of any contract awards worth over $7 million, the Air Force revealed a deal with URS Federal Services, Inc. for nearly two decades of work regarding unmanned aircraft. The official details are unusual, so feel free to read them yourself:
URS Federal Services, Inc., Germantown, Maryland, has been awarded an estimated $3,600,000,000 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with award fee and award term portions for remotely piloted aircraft services. Contractor will provide testing, tactics development, advanced training, Joint and Air Force urgent operational need missions. Work will be performed at Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada; Creech Air Force Base, Nevada; and Tonopah Test Range Airfield, Nevada, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2034. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with four offers received. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,875,894 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. (FA8240-17-D-4651).
URS Federal Services competed for the estimated $3.6 billion contract and the work is expected to last until March 31, 2034, according to the Pentagaon.
Thomas Wilczek, aerospace and defense industry representative for the state of Nevada said the state is not part of this contract.
“This is exclusively a contract between the federal government and the successful bidder URS, to provide some type of remotely piloted aircraft services at the locations described,” he said.
Chris Walach, director of the Federal Aviation Administration-Designated Nevada UAS Test Site, said the more unmanned aerial system activity happening in Nevada, the better.
“Any time you’re bringing in contracts to the state of Nevada, the aviation industry benefits and it creates additional opportunities for those who reside here in Nevada,” Walach said.