SRA International has been awarded a $35 million contract to manage and maintain the Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination, or PED, Operation Center of the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System.

Under the contract, SRA International will be tasked to manage, maintain, and administer the operational weapon system architecture supporting the U.S. Air Force's DCGS system.

The AF DCGS is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance weapon system, also referred to as the AN/GSQ-272 Sentinel weapon system, that uses a global network of intelligence platforms and technologies to gather information.

The system is supported by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, including the RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and other surveillance systems.

SRA International will support the system's PED Operations Center, which processes gathered images, videos and other media. Work on the contract will be performed at various AF DCGS locations, including Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

Work on the contract is expected to be completed by February 2019.

Boeing selected for T-38C avionics support
Washington (UPI) Jan 5, 2016 -The U.S. Air Force has selected Boeing to perform avionics component integration and logistics support for the T-38C Talon aircraft.

Under the contract, valued at $855 million, Boeing will integrate equipment needed to support the T-38C's navigation, communication, and additional mission management capabilities. Research and development funds in the amount of $750,000 were obligated at the time of the award.

The Northrop Grumman-built T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer used for a variety of roles in various air forces, including undergraduate pilot training.

The T-38C variant uses a "glass cockpit", which features integrated avionics displays and a "no drop bomb" scoring system. The planes are able to reach speeds of about 812 miles per hour.

Work on the contract will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., as well as Air Force and Navy bases in Texas, Maryland, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Work is expected to be completed by January 2026.