Battelle wins task order under US AFRL MESA IDIQ contract

Battelle has won a $16.6m task order from the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for microelectronic security.

Battelle is a prime contractor under the Microelectronics and Embedded Systems Assurance (MESA) indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle.

The company will support the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Zero Trust architecture approach for critical microelectronic components’ manufacture.

The task order will include developing and validating quantifiable assurance tools and processes for microelectronics devices and systems. It will continue until 2022.

This will lower the risk of use of untrustworthy integrated circuits, microelectronics and embedded systems in the military’s supply chain.

Battelle will partner with the government and industry in developing and transitioning technologies for quantifiable assurance.

Battelle cyber programme manager Tom Bergman said: “We’re excited to continue our collaboration with the AFRL’s Sensors Directorate developing innovative trust and assurance solutions to enhance the security and reliability of DoD systems.”

In 2015, the US DoD awarded Battelle Memorial Institute and Riverside Research Institute each a $48.721m contract to support in the US AFRL’s research and development work under the MESA IDIQ.

On 30 September 2019, the US DoD awarded the two companies a $42.156m bilateral, shared ceiling increase modification to a previously awarded MESA contract.

Work under the contract is being carried out at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. It is expected to complete until 21 September 2022.