Defense Threat Reduction Agency awards Leidos prime contract

Leidos of Reston, VA announced on February 8 that it was awarded a contract by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to support DTRA’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) and Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program through a worldwide Scientific & Technical Engagement Partnership (STEP) program. The single-award, time and materials contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a total contract value of approximately $170 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Northern Virginia and internationally in several combatant command areas of responsibility.

DTRA provides the Department of Defense’s core intellectual, technical, and operational support expertise for countering threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and high-yield explosives. The CTR Program promotes collaboration with international and non-governmental partners to advance regional engagement and multilateral cooperation in the biological warfare non-proliferation sector. The STEP Program will build long-term partnerships between strong research and technical centers and CBEP partner-country institutions to reduce biological threats through enhanced biological safety and security, awareness of biological risks, and knowledge related to biological pathogen research in foreign countries.

Under this new contract, Leidos will partner with industry, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and local scientists to develop collaborative overseas research programs, and provide specialized training in laboratory research and containment facilities engineering, public health preparedness and emergency response, and disease outbreak field surveillance and response.

“Leidos is proud of the decades of support we have provided to DTRA’s critical mission and we are honored to have been selected to support DTRA’s key international partner engagement,” said Tim Reardon, president, Leidos Defense and Intelligence. “The international assistance provided under this contract will strengthen US Government international outreach in countering threats posed by weapons of mass destruction, particularly biological weapons. This outreach, research, and training will help the US and our international partners prevent or mitigate CBRNE events throughout the world.”

Source: Leidos