FAIRFAX, Va., July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems an Advanced Technical Exploitation Program (ATEP) contract. This five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a ceiling value of $600 million to be competed among the three awardees who received contracts. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

With this award, General Dynamics will provide around-the-clock intelligence analysis, software systems development and support, and sensor exploitation research and development of space-based and airborne sensor data. General Dynamics' solutions will directly support national priorities, including the Overseas Contingency Operations and missile defense, with timelines to meet that range from minutes to hours.

The National Air and Space Intelligence Center serves as the national and U.S. Department of Defense executive agent for the processing, exploitation, analysis, integration and dissemination of measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) data collected from radar, electro-optical and infrared technical sensors. It prepares signatures of threat targets, develops analytical tools for technical analysis and provides these techniques for the fusion of MASINT data in direct support of operational missions of the Department of Defense and mission partners throughout the intelligence community. General Dynamics has been serving NASIC as a prime contractor since 2001.

"General Dynamics will continue to deliver our broad set of advanced sensing and exploitation capabilities to help NASIC meet their mission of ensuring that national decision makers and our armed forces can monitor and assess existing and evolving capabilities of our nation's adversaries," said Lou Von Thaer, president, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. "The breadth and depth of our team's experience in geospatial, advanced sensor and exploitation technologies uniquely positions us to deliver the next generation of MASINT solutions to NASIC and our nation."

The majority of work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio.

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, operates and maintains mission systems for defense, space, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, homeland security and homeland defense customers. Headquartered in Fairfax, Va., the company specializes in ground systems; imagery processing; mission payloads; space vehicles; maritime subsurface, surface and airborne mission systems; and tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination programs for national intelligence. More information is available online at www.gd-ais.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 92,900 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.gd.com.

SOURCE General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems