Alion has been awarded a $20 million task order with a 60-month performance period to support the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Autonomy and Navigation Technology Center.

The center’s goal is to identify and solve the Defense Department’s most challenging autonomy and navigation problems to enhance the department’s ability to conduct autonomous operations.

Under this order, Alion will assess, analyze and develop the center’s research in autonomous and cooperative systems, non-GPS precision navigation and robust global navigation satellite system navigation warfare.

These efforts support the institute’s mission to advance air, space and cyberspace power for the nation and its partners by conducting defense-focused research to enhance technical abilities and continue development. The efforts will support the improvement of weapons systems across DOD.

“Alion has some of the greatest engineering and technology minds in industry partnering side-by-side with our customers to face challenging issues and create technologies, solutions and advancements in innovation to keep our nation ahead,” said Eric Wright, vice president of the company’s Integrated Solutions Operation. “We are privileged to be working with the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology to achieve the goals of the ANT Center.”