Utica’s Black River Systems awarded $89 million contract modification from U.S. Air Force for drone work

UTICA — Black River Systems Co. Inc. of Utica has been awarded an $89.3 million modification to a contract for operational counter-small, unmanned-aircraft system (C-sUAS) open-systems architecture from the U.S. Air Force. 

“The objective of this effort is to rapidly enhance and commercialize the technology and approach developed under the previous Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract in order to support rapid research, development, prototyping, demonstration, evaluation and transition of C-sUAS capabilities,” according to an Aug. 10 contract announcement from the U.S. Defense Department. 

Work will be performed in Utica and is expected to be completed by May 1, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation funds totaling $9.15 million, fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds of nearly $2.7 million, and fiscal 2018 other procurement funds in the amount of $2.5 million are being obligated at the time of award, per the announcement. 

The total cumulative face value of the contract is nearly $185 million. The Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome is the contracting authority.

Black River Systems designs, develops, deploys, and analyzes radar, infrared, acoustic, and electronic-warfare sensing systems for the Defense Department and prime contractors. The company has offices in Ohio, Minnesota, and California, in addition to its Utica headquarters.