Leidos continues Saturn Arch support
Incumbent contractor Leidos has been awarded a $34.95 million modification by the US Army Contracting Command, to continue support for the Saturn Arch aerial ISR programme.
Leidos will provide system operations and sustainment services, plus test and training services, by March 2024.
It was the sole bidder in an online process, the DoD revealed on 14 July.
Saturn Arch began in 2010 as a US Army programme in Afghanistan, to equip aircraft with ISR sensors that assist in IED identification and removal.
Since then, it has evolved to cover a broader range of ISR missions and Leidos has received multiple contracts on the programme.
In 2018, the US Army revealed it was procuring two Saturn Arch Quick Reaction Capability aircraft from Leidos. These converted Bombardier Dash-8 315 aircraft are now in service as RO-6A Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Enhanced (ARL-E) platforms.
ARL-E encompasses high-resolution EO/IR imaging sensors, full-motion video cameras, foliage-penetrating and synthetic aperture radar systems, digital mapping tools, and SIGINT and COMINT capabilities.
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