Army Awards CHS-4 Contract

By U.S. ArmySeptember 1, 2011

Release: August 30, 2011

Contact: Kyle Bond / PEO C3T PAO

Phone: 443.395.6489

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- --The Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) has awarded the Common Hardware Systems-4 (CHS-4) contract, which will keep the Army in front of procurement requirements for essential hardware and information technology services of the future.

The $3.7 billion, five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract was awarded to General Dynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S), Taunton, Mass., on Aug. 25. The contract is for procurement of tactical information technology hardware and services using two types of contracts, firm fixed price and cost plus fixed fee, for services on non-commercial items.

"We initiated this contract to help us stay at the edge of modern technologies to meet Soldiers' needs for years to come," said Dr. Ashok Jain, Product Director for CHS, under Project Manager Mission Command (PM Mission Command).

The hardware will be procured in four different versions: version one non- ruggedized, version one plus some ruggedization, version two fully ruggedized and version three near military specifications ruggedized with a comprehensive five-year warranty program. The hardware items procured will include handheld devices, notebooks, servers, network devices, peripherals, cables, operational transit cases and other items.

As part of the warranty program this contract will provide worldwide repair, maintenance and logistics support through regional support centers. The overall goal is to improve interoperability, compatibility, sustainability and lower lifecycle costs on the battlefield through standardization and centralized acquisition of commercial, off-the-shelf and non-developmental items.

The CHS-4 contract will also be available for all other Department of Defense customers.

CHS has supported multiple Program Executive Offices and Project Managers since 1987 by providing state-of-the-art, fully qualified, interoperable, compatible, deployable and survivable computer and networking hardware that improves interoperability and connectivity on the battlefield.

CHS hardware deliveries are on schedule 99 percent of the time and warranty repairs or replacements are accomplished within a 72-hour turn-around-time, resulting in 97 percent operational availability.

"These high standards reflect the reality that Soldiers require superior equipment to help them meet their mission requirements and cannot afford delays in receiving and repairing critical hardware," said Col. Jonas Vogelhut, the Army's project manager for Mission Command. "PEO C3T's innovative and efficient approaches to acquiring, sustaining, and fielding equipment ensure the right capabilities reach Soldiers' hands at the right time."

About Project Manager Mission Command

PM Mission Command, part of the Army's Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical, provides integrated Mission Command capabilities, training and support to the Joint Land Component Services. PM Mission products enable Soldiers to plan, execute and synchronize tactical and operational warfighting functions including maneuver, fires, sustainment, airspace management, and air defense. PM Mission Command also procures a common hardware computing baseline used by a broad range of Army products.

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Release: August 30, 2011

Contact: Kyle Bond / PEO C3T PAO

Phone: 443.395.6489