Second unmanned Off-Board Sensing Station contract awarded to General Atomics

General Atomics is the second company to win a $17 million contract for developing an unmanned Off-Board Sensing Station, setting up a later competition with fellow awardee Kratos for a follow-on deal down the line.

The latest award announcement from the Defense Department, which came Tuesday, covers General Atomics' research and development for the OBSS, with work set to be performed in Poway, CA, and completed by Oct. 31, 2022.

A contract was also awarded to Kratos this week for the effort, aligning with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s solicitation from February that stated two companies would be given awards for the one-year base effort.

After that initial contract, both General Atomics and Kratos will vie for a 15-month, follow-on flight demonstration deal, worth $31 million. Work under that agreement would be completed by Jan. 31, 2024, the DOD notice shows. Including that option, the award’s total value is $49 million.

The initial awards were the result of a competitive solicitation that saw seven offers, according to the notice.