Lockheed Martin has won the Air Commando Training and Support (ACTS) contract awarded by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The contract is valued at upwards of $200 million and has the possibility of spanning eight years.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will be responsible for supporting and training aircrew members from AFSOC, across a variety of aircraft and missions.
The ACTS program prepares the Air Force’s special operators to face a multitude of scenarios by providing mission rehearsal services and aircrew instruction. Some of the training will be conducted through virtual reality.
The contract also calls for logistical aid to various AFSOC specific weapons systems and IT support to keep the training systems current with existing Air Force platforms.
“Through the ACTS program, we offer a realistic, concurrent, resilient and cost-effective training solution to meet the rapidly changing requirements and needs of the modern warfighter,” Tom Gordon, vice president of Training and Simulation Solutions at Lockheed Martin, said in a press release. “Lockheed Martin has been supporting AFSOC for over 27 years, and we are proud to continue this partnership by delivering innovative solutions to prepare them for their most critical missions.”
AFSOC is the special forces arm of the U.S. Air Force and performs specialized intelligence gathering, strike, and logistical missions across the globe. AFSOC is made up of eight separate units consisting of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard crews.
AFSOC currently flies the AC-130 gunship, CV-22B Osprey, MQ-9 Reaper drone, U-28, and a variety of cargo aircraft like the C-130J and C-146A Wolfhound.
Lockheed Martin will be focused on, but not limited to, supporting and training C-130J and CV-22 aircrews.