By Debbie Gregory.

The United States Air Force has awarded a $15.6 million contract for “counter-unmanned aerial systems” to an Israeli firm to attack small drones like the ones used by Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

ELTA North America Inc. is a global leader in the design, manufacture and support of innovative electronic systems for the United States government.  The company is a U.S. subsidiary of Israeli Aerospace Industries.

The type of system and its technology whether it uses electronic jamming, conventional missiles, a combination of both, or some other method to down enemy drones has not been announced. But the contract specifically references 21 Man Portable Aerial Defense System Kits that will be produced in Israel, with the delivery and training to continental U.S. locations expected to be completed by July 28, 2017.

The Defense of Department considers the system purchased so important that it given ELTA a no-bid contract. Pentagon officials consider the buy a “Joint Emergent Operational Need,” meaning it is a response to a problem on the battlefield that requires fast-tracking through the acquisition system.

The Air Force has several projects to counter small drones and is testing multiple technologies and systems, said Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek.

“Current Air Force efforts to counter hostile small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are primarily focused on non-kinetic options ranging in size from handheld technology to larger stationary and mobile systems that can be operated on the ground or in the air,” Stefanek said. “Although the primary focus of the service’s efforts is non-kinetic, kinetic options to defeat small UASs are also being explored.” Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity.

The Air Force is planning to have a formal program for countering small drones on the books by the end of fiscal year 2018, Stefanek said.

Attention all Veteran owned technology and software firms… there is a huge opportunity coming your way. Starting in either July or August of 2014, the Department of Defense will begin shopping for a company or companies to design and manage a new information technology system to maintain all medical records for service members.

For years, Veterans have had to leave the military with fully completed medical and dental records, only to have to reapply with the VA’s health care system. The transition eats up a lot of time and resources. A new record system that carriesover between the military and the VA is long overdue.

In May of 2013, officials at the Pentagon announced that they intended to install an improved electronic system for maintaining service members’ health records. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel promised to work with the VA in developing a “seamless system” for service members and Veterans. In light of this year’s VA scandal involving backlogs and wait times, the time to implement a new records system is now.

Many heavy hitters in the tech industry will be bidding on the contract. Veteran business owners in the tech industry would be wise to pay attention to this, which is estimated to be a 10 year, $11 billion contract. Whoever wins the contract will most likely be mandated to hire sub-contractors who are Veterans or Veteran-owned companies.

Companies that are expected to compete for the contract include Accenture Plc, Northrop Grumman Corp, Leidos Holdings Inc., Hewlett-Packard Inc., and IBM, who has already announced their plan to partner with Epic Systems Corp in a bid for the contract. Maybe your Veteran owned business can be added to this list as well.

The winner of the bidding gets to claim one of the largest contracts in federal information technology. But after the failed launch of the Obamacare website, bidders and their proposals will be under heavy scrutiny.

But either way, Veterans should still come out ahead through better, faster healthcare, seamless healthcare records, and the potential for subcontracting with the winning bidder.

The Veteran and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA) is a non-profit business trade association that promotes and assists Veteran Business Owners, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) and Military Business Owners. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and responsible for job generation. That is why VAMBOA provides its members with Business Coaching, Contracting Opportunities, a Blog that provides information, Networking contacts and other resources. Membership is FREE to Veterans. Join Now!

VAMBOA: Upcoming $11 Billion Federal Contract: By Debbie Gregory