BIGGEST CONTRACTS

Contractor: Space Gateway Support
Fairfax
Value: $2.2 billion over 10 years

Cocktail party chatter got things clicking, and about four weeks later, two Virginia-based companies had joined forces with a Florida firm to win a $2.2 billion contract that took them into outer space. They were scrambling right up until Sen. John Glenn's historic Oct. 29 liftoff.

On Aug. 25, the Space Gateway Support joint venture announced that it had won a contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Kennedy Space Center and the U.S. Air Force. The venture partners are ICF Kaiser International Inc. of Fairfax, specializing in engineering, construction, project management and consulting; Northrop Grumman Corp./Logicon of Herndon, an expert in aerospace programs and base-operations support; and Wackenhut Services of Florida, a leader in security services.

Under the terms of the contract, Space Gateway Support is in charge of base operations support activities at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Station, Patrick Air Force Base, The Florida Annexes, and the Trans-Oceanic Abort Sites.

With little more than 23 days to get everything ready for launch, the venture partners couldn't waste any time. But initial efforts were hampered when EGG of Massachusetts, the contractor that had served Cape Canaveral for the past 16 years, protested the decision.

"By the fourth of October it was all solved, and we had less than four weeks to work with our partners at the cape to get ready for the Glenn launch," says Tom Grumbly, president of ICF Kaiser's Environment and Facilities Management Group. "All our skills hooked together, and we worked like crazy to make sure everything went perfectly."

The Space Gateway Support team, with the help of 11 specialty subcontractors, will provide environmental and information management; public works; fire protection; logistics; and administrative, protective and medical services.

Contractor: DynCorp
Reston
Value: $1 billion over 10 years

Issuer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Outsourcing Desktop Initiative

Details: Entails consolidating NASA's computerized desktop and communications service requirements into one contract. As the prime contractor, DynCorp will have responsibility for delivering the full range of desktop hardware, software and services.

Contractor: EDS
Herndon
Value: $1 billion over 7 years

Issuer: State of Connecticut, Department of Information Technology

Details: EDS will lead the modernization of Connecticut's information technology. The initiative began in 1996, when Gov. John Rowland ordered the modernization of the state's infrastructure. EDS proposes to make Connecticut a national showcase.

Contractor: Dimensions International
Crystal City
Value: $650 million over 10 years

Issuer: U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command

Details: Dimensions International will provide the services and products necessary for the sustainment of all the command's weapon systems. Services include maintenance assistance, technical assistance, equipment modifications, new and sustainment equipment training, data analysis and updates, logistics and maintenance.

Contractor: DynCorp
Reston
Value: $459 million

Issuer: U.S. Army at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Details: DynCorp will provide a broad scope of aviation services including aircraft maintenance, modification and logistics support, and the implementation of new technology. Under the contract, DynCorp will manage the use of Fort Rucker's improved information systems, direct the automation of all flight logbooks, supervise the repair and maintenance of all aircraft and parts, and oversee all helicopter launches and landings.

Contractor: DynCorp
Reston
Value: $300 million over five years

Issuer: U.S. Department of Justice

Details: DynCorp will assist with the department's asset forfeiture program and manage secure information, facilities and computer systems in addition to providing data analysis and training. Prior to this contract renewal, DynCorp assisted the Justice Department in more than 60,000 asset seizures, worked on more than 100 forfeiture trials and appeals, and generated more than 20,000 notice documents for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Contractor: Orbital Sciences Corp.
Dulles
Value: $260 million

Issuer: VisionStar Inc. of New York.

Details: Orbital will provide two geostationary earth orbit communications satellites and launch services. Vision Star, a New York company, is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to offer high-speed communications services. It selected Orbital because the company makes high-performance satellites with comparatively low costs.

Contractor: DynCorp
Reston
Value: $187 million over three years

Issuer: U.S. Census Bureau

Details: Together with TRW Corp. of Ohio, DynCorp will operate one of three imaging technology facilities to process approximately 78 million census forms. During the contract's peak time -- March 2000 to July 2000 -- DynCorp expects to process 20 million forms.

Contractor: ITT Industries Night Vision
Roanoke
Value: $172 million

Issuer: U.S. Army

Details: This Roanoke military contractor is sharing a $430 million contract with Litton Industries Inc. of Woodland Hills, Calif. Together they will produce night-vision goggles and image intensifier tubes, which are the heart of night-vision products. Under the terms of the contract, ITT will supply 40 percent of the Army's goggles, Litton 60 percent.

Contractor: Sicpa Securink Corp.
Springfield
Value: $153.7 million over five years

Issuer: U.S. Department of the Treasury

Details: Color-shifting ink for the treasury department's new $100, $50 and $20 bills. The numeral in the right corner of the bills has a bright green-colored face; when the bill is shifted back and forth, the face turns black. This is a Sicpa trademarked product.

This report was compiled by Kathleen F. Phalen.