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Tag: government contractor

ASRC Federal buys Manassas defense contractor

Reston-based ASRC Federal Holding Co. has acquired Manassas-based defense contractor Broadleaf Inc., ASRC announced Monday.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2009, Broadleaf is a U.S. Small Business Administration Certified Native Hawaiian Organization. The company provides information technology services and professional services. Broadleaf was No. 977 on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list of the U.S.’s fastest-growing privately held companies.

“Broadleaf is thrilled to join the ASRC Federal family,” Broadleaf President Vince Apesa said in a statement. “Our team is passionate about driving mission success for our customers, and we look forward to joining forces with the depth of resources and talent available at ASRC Federal to provide even greater value to those we serve.”

Nearly 600 Broadleaf employees will join ASRC Federal, and the acquisition adds Department of Defense and federal civilian customers to ASRC Federal’s portfolio.

“This acquisition strengthens and expands our presence within key [DOD] agencies while also providing growth opportunities with new customers,” ASRC Federal President and CEO Jennifer Felix said in a statement. “I know the high-performing team at Broadleaf will blend seamlessly with the ASRC Federal culture, and together we’ll continue to excel in the support of important customer missions.”

The Broadleaf acquisition follows a March announcement that ASRC Federal would buy Reston-based Science Applications International Corp.’s logistics and supply chain management business for $350 million in cash.

ASRC Federal is a federal government services subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corp., an Alaska Native corporation. Its family of companies provides engineering, IT, infrastructure and professional services support. ASRC Federal has about 8,000 employees and operations across 44 states, districts and territories.

BWXT wins potential $45B DOE contract

A joint venture led by BWX Technologies Inc. has won a federal contract worth up to $45 billion — its largest ever — from the U.S. Department of Energy to clean up a decommissioned nuclear production site in southeastern Washington state, the Lynchburg-based nuclear components and fuel supplier announced Monday.

The Hanford Site Tank Farms has 177 underground waste storage tanks with 54 million gallons of nuclear waste produced by plutonium production, according to a 2021 federal report. The Department of Energy awarded the 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity Hanford Integrated Tank Disposition Contract (ITDC) to Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure LLC (H2C), a joint venture led by BWXT’s Technical Services subsidiary that includes Amentum Environment & Energy Inc. and Fluor Federal Services Inc.

“This is the largest single contract award in our company’s history and is a stair-step achievement as we strengthen our leadership position in environmental restoration at highly technical projects across the nation,” BWXT President and CEO Rex Geveden said in a statement.

The federal government produced plutonium for more than 40 years, from 1943 to 1987, at the Hanford Site, near Richland, Washington. The DOE is repurposing the site to treat tank waste from the production period in an environmental cleanup. The site has 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored in 159 underground tanks, according to the DOE.

Low-activity radioactive waste will be removed and treated and eventually turned into a glass product through the vitrification process, which mixes the waste with glass-forming materials and heats it to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit so the waste bonds with the glass. Vitrification will occur at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, which contractor Bechtel National Inc. is constructing. Bechtel completed construction on the first phase of the facilities in January 2021, and the multiyear testing and commissioning period has begun.

Under the ITDC contract, H2C will operate tank farm facilities; design, construct and operate waste-receiving facilities and treatment capabilities; operate the eventual Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant; and oversee core project functions, including project management and environment, safety, health and quality functions.

Fortune 1000 company BWXT has roughly 7,000 employees and 14 major operating sites across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Rocket Lab to launch new hypersonic rocket from Va.

California-based Rocket Lab USA Inc. will launch its new Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) rocket in Accomack County in the first half of 2023.

The company introduced the suborbital testbed launch vehicle, derived from its Electron rocket, on Monday. Rocket Lab is preparing the HASTE vehicle for launch for a confidential customer at its integration and control facility on Wallops Island, according to a news release. The rocket will launch from the company’s Launch Complex 2 within Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, where the aerospace company launched its 60-foot-tall Electron rocket in January, its first launch from U.S. soil.

“Hypersonic and suborbital test capabilities are key priorities for the nation, yet the [Department of Defense’s] ability to test these systems has been limited,” Brian Rogers, Rocket Lab’s senior director of global launch services, said in a statement. “With HASTE, we’ve taken a proven vehicle in Electron and tailored it specifically to deliver highly capable, frequent and cost-effective hypersonic and suborbital test opportunities from our existing launch site in Virginia.”

Rocket Lab announced in February 2022 that it had selected Wallops Island as the location for its launch site and a new manufacturing and assembly complex for its new, reusable Neutron rocket, a move that is expected to bring 250 jobs.

Rocket Lab National Security, a wholly owned subsidiary, will primarily operate HASTE. HASTE will have a payload capacity of up to 1,540 pounds and options to accommodate larger payloads.

Since 2018, the Electron vehicle has deployed satellites for NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Space Force.

Dynetics, an Alabama-based wholly owned subsidiary of Reston-based Leidos Holdings Inc., has selected Rocket Lab to provide hypersonic test launch capability under a Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane division contract announced in October 2022. The Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit has also selected Rocket Lab to prototype hypersonic launch capability on HASTE in its hypersonic and high-cadence testing capabilities (HyCAT) program. In addition, the company completed a study for the Missile Defense Agency’s Targets and Countermeasures Program to evaluate a variety of payloads on HASTE, which could set the stage for future test flights, the company said in a news release.

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron rocket and the Photon satellite platform and is developing the Neutron 13-ton payload class launch vehicle. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, the company has delivered 159 satellites to orbit for private and public organizations. Rocket Lab has two launch pads in New Zealand in addition to its pad in Virginia.

SAIC hires SVP of Navy unit

Barbara Graham has been hired as senior vice president of Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor Science Applications International Corp.’s Navy business unit, SAIC announced Wednesday.

Graham, who started Tuesday, will oversee the $1 billion SAIC unit, which serves U.S. Navy and Marine Corps customers. She reports to Bob Genter, president of SAIC’s defense and civilian sector.

“Barbara is an exceptionally talented and experienced leader whose deep customer relationships and knowledge will drive results for our Navy and Marine Corps customers,” Genter said in a statement. “As a growth-minded leader, she will continue building our Navy business, drive organic growth, scale into key submarkets and focus on developing a new generation of talent and innovative capabilities.”

Graham previously served as vice president and general manager of GDIT’s Navy and Marine Corps sector for five months. Before that, she worked for CACI International Inc. for almost four years, ending her tenure there as a senior vice president. Prior to joining CACI, Graham held various roles with BAE Systems Inc., most recently as director of strategic capture.

Graham is a Navy veteran who holds a bachelor’s degree in management computer information systems from Park University.

SAIC employs approximately 26,000 people and reported $7.4 billion in fiscal year 2022 revenue.

Parsons to acquire N.J. software company

Centreville-based Fortune 1000 defense contractor Parsons Corp. has entered into an agreement to acquire IPKeys Power Partners Inc., a New Jersey provider of enterprise software platform solutions, the company announced Tuesday.

The $43 million acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter.

IPKeys Power Partners delivers cyber and operational security to electric, water and gas utilities across North America, according to a news release.

“The addition of IPKeys brings important software platforms and capabilities that strengthen our integrated solutions that protect critical infrastructure,” Parsons’ Chair, President and CEO Carey Smith said in a statement. “A natural extension of our growth strategy, this acquisition reinforces our position in the critical infrastructure protection market, enhances our customer base, spans both of our business segments, and extends our capabilities into adjacent markets.”

IPKeys Power Partners has about 70 employees, with office in Louisiana, Texas and California, in addition to its headquarters in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The company will be integrated into Parsons’ Connected Communities business unit and the Parsons X digital accelerator organization, a spokesperson told Virginia Business.

“We empower utilities and operators to better adapt to today’s evolving grid. As digitalization and electrification advance, we move closer to reaching our nation’s climate goals of net zero by 2050, but these innovations present energy supply, cybersecurity and technological risks of their own,” said Robert Nawy, CEO of IPKeys Power Partners, in a statement. “We are excited to join our tools, technology and experience with Parsons’ proven, industry-leading critical infrastructure protection solutions, further proliferating the resiliency of the power grid and other infrastructure – a core mission of both companies.”

In May 2022, Parsons closed on its $400 million acquisition of Reston-based Xator Corp.

Parsons reported fourth quarter revenue of $1.1 billion, representing total growth of 16%, with net income of $28 million. For fiscal year 2022, Parsons reported revenue of $4.2 billion, 15% growth and net income of $97 million. In 2022, Parsons ranked no. 733 on the Fortune 1000 list.

ManTech names new CFO

Herndon-based government contractor ManTech International Corp. has named Michael D. Ruppert as its new vice president and chief financial officer, following the retirement of Judy Bjornaas.

The appointment was effective Tuesday. Bjornaas spent a dozen years at ManTech, which was acquired by The Carlyle Group Inc. last year, and contributed to its growth toward becoming a nearly $3 billion government services contractor with nearly 10,000 employees worldwide.

Ruppert will report to ManTech President and CEO Matt Tait. He will be responsible for the company’s financial, treasury and corporate development functions.

Most recently, Ruppert was executive vice president, CFO and treasurer for aerospace defense contractor Mercury Systems Inc.

“I am very excited to take on the CFO role at ManTech, a company that is a tech leader in the government space with its sophisticated technology solutions that transform the success of customers in the defense, intelligence and federal civilian sectors,” Rupert said in a statement.

Before he was at Mercury Systems, Ruppert was co-founder and managing partner of RSPartners LLC, a mergers and acquisitions firm focused on aerospace and defense. He was also a managing director at UBS Securities, leading the company’s defense and government IT efforts. He has also worked at Lehman Brothers and Lazard Freres. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from the University of Virginia.

ManTech provides technology solutions for U.S. defense, intelligence and federal civilian agencies.

Accenture Federal Services announces new National Security lead

Arlington-based Accenture Federal Services has promoted Kevin Heald to National Security portfolio lead, effective May 1, the federal contractor announced Wednesday.

Heald is currently the emerging technology and cyber sector lead for AFS’ National Security portfolio. He was Novetta’s senior vice president of its information exploitation division before AFS acquired the McLean-based analytics company in 2021.

“Kevin Heald brings an entrepreneurial spirit to everything he does,” AFS CEO John Goodman said in a statement. “He’s committed to empowering teams to help mission partners achieve their strategic vision. I look forward to working with Kevin in this exciting next step for him and our National Security team.”

Before joining Novetta, Heald worked with Scitor Corp. as a technical lead and then as an architect. He previously was co-founder and chief technology officer of Herndon-based IT consulting firm Ennovex Solutions.

Heald will succeed Tiffanny Gates, who was Novetta’s president and CEO from 2017 to 2021. She will retire after a transition period and is joining the Accenture Federal Services Board of Managers.

“I’m proud and excited to hand the reins of Accenture Federal Services’ National Security portfolio over to Kevin Heald,” Gates said in a statement. “I’m confident Kevin will bring the experience, energy and focus this role requires.”

Accenture Federal Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture LLP, part of Irish Fortune Global 500 company Accenture PLC. Accenture has more than 738,000 employees with clients across 120 countries and reported $61.6 billion in fiscal year 2022 revenue.

Northrop Grumman appoints global biz development officer

Stephen O’Bryan will become corporate vice president and global business development officer for Falls Church-based Fortune 500 aerospace and defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. on Feb. 6.

Northrop Grumman announced that the board of directors elected O’Bryan on Monday.

O’Bryan will lead business development organization and contribute to international growth. He succeeds David Perry, who is set to retire March 31. Perry will continue as corporate vice president to support the transition until his retirement.

O’Bryan will report to Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman’s chair, CEO and president.

“Steve is a highly respected business leader, and with his experience and expertise, he’ll help further position and grow our business in key markets around the world,” Warden said in a statement.

O’Bryan comes from Boston Consulting Group, according to a Northrop Grumman news release. Previously, he served as executive director of GBD Defense Group. From 2018 to 2019, he served as senior vice president and chief global business development officer for L3Harris Technologies Inc. From 2004 to 2018, O’Bryan held various roles with Lockheed Martin Corp., including vice president of strategy and business development.

O’Bryan was an F/A-18 pilot in the U.S. Navy and is a graduate of the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, originally called the Navy Fighter Weapons School and more commonly known as Top Gun.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman employs roughly 95,000 employees and reported $36.6 billion in 2022 revenue. The company ranked No. 399 on the Fortune Global 500 list in 2022.

Manassas company to develop short takeoff, landing aircraft for Air Force

Manassas-based aerospace company Electra.aero Inc. has received a Strategic Funding Increase award from the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX arm that secures up to $85 million for development of a prototype electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

The award, announced Thursday, secures funding between private investments, government funding and matching Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding for the development, testing and evaluation of a full-scale pre-production prototype. AFWERX is a technology directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory — the Air Force’s center for research and development — that teams technology developers with Air Force and Space Force personnel.

The company’s eSTOL is designed to operate in spaces the size of a soccer field and can fly missions including cargo logistics, executive transport and humanitarian assistance and disaster response in urban remote areas. Electra plans to test a two-seat piloted eSTOL demonstrator aircraft at the Manassas Airport Electra facility in the spring, and the award will accelerate Electra’s development of a commercial nine-passenger eSTOL product aircraft that would support Air Force missions of interest. The aircraft would have a 2,500-pound payload, allowing it to carry nine passengers, two pilots and 50 pounds of baggage over 400 nautical miles, although the payload specifications are subject to change, according to Electra’s website.

“This STRATFI award reinforces the Air Force’s commitment to dual-use eSTOL technology as a solution for national security and other government missions and validates Electra’s aircraft design and engineering work to date,” Electra founder, Chairman and CEO John S. Langford said in a statement.

The award builds on Electra’s six active USAF SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II and Phase III contracts, used to develop eSTOL technology aspects such as distributed electric propulsion, blown lift aerodynamics and acoustics, precision flight controls and hybrid-electric powertrains. Electra is a partner of the AFWERX’s Agility Prime program, which aims to accelerate the commercial market for advanced air mobility vehicles and mitigate regulatory risks.

“It’s vital that we ensure new advanced air mobility technologies with dual-use applications are developed and manufactured here at home in the U.S.,” Lt. Col. John “Wasp” Tekell, the Air Force’s Agility Prime program lead, said in a statement. “Electra’s eSTOL technology has the potential to deliver valuable logistics and mobility capabilities to the Air Force.”

Founded in fall 2020, Electra is focused on developing hybrid-electric, ultra-short takeoff and landing airplanes and has 40 employees and contractors. Electra has received more than 1,000 eSTOL aircraft orders from commercial customers, according to a news release.

Reston contractor lands $235M extension for Iraq base support

A subsidiary of Reston-based federal contractor Acuity International LLC won a $235.6 million U.S. Air Force contract modification to provide base support and security services for the Iraq F-16 program, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

The modification adds 12 months to the previously awarded contract, bringing the cumulative value of the contract to $360.78 million. The subsidiary, Sallyport Global Holdings Inc., will provide base operations and base life support in addition to security services at the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base in Iraq. The contract involves foreign military sales to Iraq. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2024.

Sallyport Global Holdings was a subsidiary of Reston-based Caliburn International, which in late 2021 split to form two companies — Acuity International, focusing on technology services, and Valiance Humanitarian LLC, which took the former firm’s migrant detention contracts.

Acuity has more than 3,300 employees in more than 30 countries. The company provides process- and technology-based medical, engineering and mission services and solutions to government and commercial clients.