The Federal Aviation Administration awarded SAIC a $2.4 billion, ten-year IDIQ contract in February 2026 to support the NextGen Air Traffic Management System transformation program. SAIC beat three other incumbent teams in the competitive recompete, per Washington Technology. The award is SAIC's largest civilian-agency win in three years.
Scope and capability areas
- Software engineering and DevSecOps for air traffic control automation systems
- Data analytics and AI/ML for predictive traffic flow management
- Cybersecurity: continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and incident response
- Systems integration across FAA's Terminal and En Route automation platforms
What it means for the supply chain
FAA NextGen has historically been a strong feeder program for small firms with aviation domain experience. SAIC's subcontracting plan commits to 40% small-business participation — significant given the $2.4B ceiling. Specialty areas in demand include ATC software, spectrum management, and SWIM data exchange.
- Register on SAIC's supplier portal and note FAA as the target agency
- NAICS 541512 and 541519 are the primary codes — confirm eligibility
- Watch SAM.gov for FAA-issued task order RFPs that will flow under the vehicle