Article Posted on : - Jun 02, 2010

A File Photo.

SAN DIEGO(BNS): Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has selected Lockheed Martin to compete for future orders under the Common Afloat Local Area Network Infrastructure (CALI) indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) multiple award contracts.

Lockheed Martin will compete for orders within the contract ceiling of $502 million from 2010 through 2017, inclusive of a four year option period.

CALI provides command, control, computing, communication and intelligence support for US Navy ships and submarines. The contract covers the procurement of common computing environment components, integrated logistics support, configuration management, test and evaluation, quality assurance and installation support to the Navy.

“We have a demonstrated track record of providing the low risk, best value computing and network solutions to SPAWAR, while our experience partnering with small businesses helps us offer the Navy solutions that are flexible and affordable,” John Nikolai, director of Communications and Workstations for Lockheed Martin Undersea Systems, said in a company news release, Tuesday.

“This allows us to leverage our extensive experience on the Q-70 programme, which included the delivery of more than 7,600 ruggedized shipboard computing units to the Navy,” he added.

Work on the US Navy new Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is in developmental phase and the contractors of CALI IDIQ have to serve the Navy’s computing network systems for the next seven years until the CANES becomes operational.

In March 2010, Lockheed Martin was one of the two companies to sign a contract with US Navy to build the next phase of CANES common computing environment competition.

The company, as per the contract, will design, develop and deliver a CANES engineering development model consisting of hardware and associated operating systems, virtualisation and commercial software needed in a functional network.