Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
Aerospace company Lockheed Martin has added an Alaska Native corporation to the team its building to pursue the contract for maintaining and developing US missile defense systems in Alaska and the Lower 48. Lockheed is teaming with Nana Regional corporation subsidiaries on a $3 billion, five-year contract the Army is putting out for bid. Lockheed Martin Vice President of Missile Defense Matt Joyce says Nana, which has had a support contract at the primary US interceptor site at Fort Greely for seven years, would take on new responsibilities through the missile defense contract.
Joyce says the Nana companies will also work at Army Missile Defense system program offices in Huntsville, Alabama. Many of the missile defense jobs at Fort Greely are high tech and commonly filled by outside workers, but Joyce said that will change with Nana.Nana subsidiary Akima Logistics president Jonathan Widdis says his company can train Alaskans to fill the positions.
Nana is the second partner Lockheed has brought to its missile defense team. The state owned Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, which runs the Kodiak rocket launch complex is also a member of the Lockheed lead group that will bid on the missile defense contract. Lockheed says it expects to announce additional team partners in the near future. The RFP for the Army Missile Defense system is due to be out next month, with a contract awarded early next year. The missile defense contract has been held by Boeing for the last 10 years, and the company will compete to retain it.
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