WASHINGTON — Work done for the U.S. Department of Defense on its campaign to seamlessly connect sensors and shooters, or Joint All-Domain Command and Control, will drive growth at Science Applications International Corporation, according to its chief executive officer, Nazzic Keene.

Speaking on an earnings call Dec. 5, Keene said the company has taken several successful stabs at winning JADC2-related business and will continue to support the multibillion-dollar portfolio “as this is critical to our national security and an integral part of our growth and GTA strategy,” or growth and technology accelerants.

SAIC, the world’s 38th largest defense contractor in the annual ranking by Defense News, recorded $1.91 billion in revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2023. The Virginia-based information technology and defense company this year secured more than $500 million in JADC2-related contract awards, it said Dec. 1, and was named as a company to watch by Frost and Sullivan, an American business-consulting firm.

The Pentagon is attempting to bring JADC2 to life as it contends with challenges posed by China and Russia, the two biggest national security threats, according to the National Defense Strategy. By linking databases across land, air, sea, space and cyber and ensuring the right information gets to the right people at the right time, U.S. defense officials hope to outthink and outmaneuver competitors.

RELATED

Contractors are jostling to win the attention — and money — of the Pentagon when it comes to JADC2, which officials say has no true finish line and requires constant reevaluation and innovation.

“For JADC2 to succeed, the Department of Defense needs experts in advanced capabilities in network virtualization, optimized delivery, software integration, cloud operations and cyber defense,” Michael LaRouche, SAIC’s president of national security and space, said in a statement Dec. 1. “That, and an unparalleled understanding of the challenge, is exactly what we bring to the table.”

SAIC was in September selected to join the Advanced Battle Management System Digital Infrastructure Consortium, an Air Force effort to accelerate the development of JADC2. The bloc also includes L3Harris Technologies, Leidos, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies. The five companies are all among the 40 largest global defense firms ranked by revenue, according to Defense News analysis.

L3Harris in October announced its intent to purchase satellite giant Viasat’s Link 16 portfolio in a bid to expand its own JADC2 offerings and compete with larger, more-entrenched companies. The nearly $2 billion deal is expected to close in the first half of 2023.

Colin Demarest was a reporter at C4ISRNET, where he covered military networks, cyber and IT. Colin had previously covered the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration — namely Cold War cleanup and nuclear weapons development — for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award-winning photographer.

Share:
More In Industry