$502 million contract to manage launches from Pacific Ocean Range

RGNext, a joint venture between Raytheon’s (NYSE: RTN) Intelligence, Information and Services business and General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), will operate the U.S. Army’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, safely managing space vehicle and ballistic missile launches and missile defense tests conducted from islands in the 750,000-square-mile Pacific Ocean range.

Under the $502-million, 10-year contract, RGNext will maintain the range’s launch and safety systems, including radar, telemetry and optical sensors located on the Kwajalein Atoll. RGNext will also operate the Range Operations Center and Space Operations Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the Kwajalein Mission Control Center on Kwajalein, and the Range Safety Control Center, also on Kwajalein. RGNext has hired more than 300 engineers, technicians and other launch professionals to support this critical mission.

“The Reagan Test Site is used for some of our nation’s most important defense programs, from ensuring our ballistic missiles work as designed to proving the capabilities of our missile defense systems,” said Todd Probert, vice president at Raytheon IIS. “The Army chose RGNext because we are experts at safely operating launch ranges and bring deep knowledge and experience to support this critical mission.”

RGNext also manages the two major rocket launch sites in the U.S, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“RGNext remains focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of mission critical functions for their customers,” said Rich Farinacci, vice president of Naval and Training Programs at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). “RGNext is prepared to help their customers modernize their legacy systems and continue to deliver solutions that advance mission performance.”

Jointly owned by GDIT and Raytheon IIS, RGNext operates, maintains, and sustains mission-critical systems to provide safe and effective launch, testing, and tracking of Department of Defense, civil, commercial and international spacelift vehicles. It also supports ballistic missile, guided weapon and aeronautical tests and evaluations.

Raytheon release