Leonardo DRS Joins ATSP5 Emerging Systems Program
Leonardo DRS said Tuesday it had been selected as one of 13 companies awarded a place on the Advanced Technology Support Program V, or ATSP5, a U.S. Department of War engineering solutions contract meant to help the military rapidly field emerging technologies.
The Arlington, Virginia-based company said the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract carries a total potential ceiling of more than $25 billion over 10 years.
The award gives Leonardo DRS a new contract vehicle through which it can compete for task orders tied to advanced military technology development. The company said the program is intended to support faster delivery of next-generation systems and engineering work in areas the U.S. military considers important for future operational capability.
According to a statement from Leonardo DRS, the contract covers engineering support tied to advanced sensing, computing and integrated mission systems. The company also said the ATSP5 vehicle may support work related to quantum computing, nanoelectronics, additive manufacturing and submicron engineering, all of which are tied to efforts to move newer technologies into practical military use.
Leonardo DRS said it was one of 13 awardees selected for the contract. That positions the company to compete for future task orders during the life of the agreement, rather than guaranteeing a fixed amount of immediate work at the time of award.
“As a company built around rapid delivery of trusted advanced technologies, we are excited and proud to be one of the few awardees of this contract,” John Baylouny, president and chief executive officer of Leonardo DRS, said in a statement. “This is an important contract vehicle that will provide another avenue for customers to swiftly access DRS’s advanced technologies and engineering solutions. We look forward to delivering innovation and capability to our customers in support of their critical missions.”
The ATSP5 contract is structured as an IDIQ, or indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, award. In practical terms, that means the government establishes a contract framework and selects multiple eligible vendors, then issues task orders for specific work as needs arise. Companies chosen for the contract must then compete for those orders over the period of performance.
That structure is widely used for military technology programs that span multiple technical fields and changing requirements over time. Rather than awarding one fixed program to a single contractor, the government uses the contract vehicle to access a pool of companies that can provide engineering, prototyping, integration or research support as operational priorities evolve.
In Leonardo DRS’s case, the company said the award aligns with its focus on advanced electronic systems. The firm said the contract would give customers another path to access its engineering services and defense technologies, particularly in areas tied to emerging military requirements.
As noted by the company, the scope of possible work under ATSP5 ranges from advanced sensing and computing to integrated mission systems. Those categories cover a broad set of technologies used across modern military platforms, including battlefield awareness tools, onboard processing systems, networked mission equipment and systems integration work needed to connect sensors, software and hardware into usable operational packages.
