TRW Awarded $48 Million Logistics Contract

ByDave Schafer TRW Inc., an advanced-technology products and services supplier, won a six-year, $48 million contract to develop a modernized e-business solution to provide inventory management and fleet maintenance for the U.S. Army's tactical logistics operations. As the prime contractor, Cleveland, Ohio-based TRW said it will work with the Army and a team of subcontractors to identify and apply the best commercial Web technologies and practices in the development of a Web-based, comprehensive logistics system. If the Army exercises all options, the contract value could reach $400 million. The browser-based system, The Global Combat Support System-Army/Tactical (GCSS-A/T), will tie together retail and wholesale domains, giving logistics personnel access to accurate and consistent supply-chain information across all tiers of the Army. The GCSS-A/T system will replace the Standard Army Management Information Systems, the Army's current suite of legacy programs providing logistics support of maintenance, supply, property, accountability ammunition, and readiness management. The new system should increase planning efficiency and eliminate redundancies in the current system by providing personnel access to near-real-time logistics status, allowing soldiers to accurately track the progress of an order. The contract was awarded in April, and the company expects the first work order by the end of the month, according to Dave Schwab, TRW public-relations coordinator.