General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and its MQ-9A Remotely Piloted Aircraft will continue to support prime contractor SMX who was recently awarded a task order to provide U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) mission and intelligence analysis operations. GA-ASI is a major subcontractor to SMX for the AFRICOM Reconnaissance Intelligence Exploitation Services (ARIES) task order with an estimated value of $2.3 billion (inclusive of option periods).
The new award has a seven-year period of performance and will allow SMX and its teaming partners to extend their support through 2029 if all option periods are exercised. The contract will cover continued ISR services for AFRICOM using six MQ-9As produced by GA-ASI, which will make up three lines with two aircraft each. The MQ-9As are supplied by GA-ASI as part of a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) lease agreement. GA-ASI is the world’s leading manufacturer of RPA systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions. SMX is an industry leader in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR).
ARIES, like its predecessor task order, is a complex, multi-tenant task order providing cutting-edge full lifecycle intelligence solutions through cloud-enabled data insights and decision analytics. ARIES’ objective is to improve the United States’ ability to observe, orient, decide and act faster and more effectively on the information provided through an innovative system of systems intelligence collection and dissemination eco-system.
“It’s exciting to be able to continue to work with SMX and continue to support AFRICOM,” said Senior Vice President for MQ-9 Systems, Fred Darlington. “I believe our success in winning the ARIES subcontract is due to the great work the team has provided for the past three years on the continent.”
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