A Virginia-based company with more than 100 offices nationwide has been awarded an $889 million contract with local impact.
The contract will support the U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) and its mission partners.
“The ARCYBER contract showcases the multi-faceted ability of Peraton to support the integration of cyberspace-related operations with EW, IO, and other IAE activities to provide information advantage,” said Tom Afferton, President, Cyber Mission sector, in a news release announcing the contract.
The company opened an office in Augusta in 2020, located in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, formerly the Georgia Cyber Center, on Reynolds Street at 12th Street. It was part of the Army’s relocation of cyber security operations that began in 2017.
“We have a sector of the cyber mission that focuses on cyber as a specific domain and mission set across both the intel community departments and civil agencies,” James Ogletree, Vice President, Cyber Operations Business Unit explained for ABD. “We serve the entire intel community, across the DOD (Department of Defense), all the services in combat command. On the civilian side, the Department of Justice (DOJ), various organizations, and NASA, providing technology and mission-enabling services.”
Ogletree said the latest contract is a follow-up to a previous contract, but it also expanded the scope. It is part of the Information Advantage Enterprise contract.
“Any part of the DOD can actually use this contract to support their cyber fight to gain the information advantage,” he said. “Our ARCYBER in Augusta is the nucleus in the center of gravity. It’s full spectrum of defensive ARCYBER operations to planning, to tracking missions. So, it’s a very expensive contract, and that’s why it has a big price tag.
The goal is to assist ARCYBER to reach goals in 2030 Command Vision. Dick Amott, Deputy Program Manager, ARCYBER Cyberspace Operations Support, told ABD it was created by LTG Maria Barrett, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command, when she assumed command in 2022.
“There’s a number of different aspects to that, where you’re looking at data-centric operations and people and how you’re bringing all those into focus and developing not only the talent and the systems and the enterprise, but how are you bringing all of that together in a cohesive fashion to really protect the Army networks that are out there,” he said. “That was a big part of our strategy, and our proposal for this contract is how are we going to address those tenants in that vision and move her vision forward into the future and meet that 2030 goal?”
Ogletree believes work done here in Augusta benefits more than the Army. He said they are also creating a regional center of excellence that touches local high schools and universities with sponsoring programs.
“And I think that’s going to spill into the adjacencies, your infrastructure, your banks, and your pipelines. All the things that make the world run are now touched by something that is cyber-enabled at some point,” he said. “I think all that expertise we’re bringing in, those partnerships, helped raise the region’s technical expertise, which I often say, creates jobs and creates opportunities, and creates strategic investment opportunities for companies like Peraton.”
Ogletree’s unit focuses specifically on the DOD’s cyber mission. In all, the company has generated approximately 600 jobs in Augusta. He said they work with their local partners to develop talent locally to augment personnel moving to Augusta.
“They’re not short term, they’re moving, they’re relocating, settling down, which I think is important, but I think locally grown talent is critical,” he said.
To do that, the company sponsors STEM events in area high schools, as well as an internship program for Augusta University students.
For more information about the company, its mission, and current job openings, visit www.peraton.com.
