On Friday, Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon announced that the security and aerospace company has successfully secured an $8 billion U.S. Defense contract to serve as global logistics support for America’s Special Operations Forces.

It is not uncommon for the U.S. military to rely on contracts with private sector organizations for support services like warehouse logistics, maintenance, equipment modifications, and specialized repairs on equipment like aircraft.  This new contract awards that responsibility to Lockheed Martin, who will be supporting special operations units like the Navy SEALs, Green Berets, and Rangers for ten more years.  Their previous contract was set to expire in 2018.

Multiple companies are said to have competed for the contract, though both Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon have been understandably tight-lipped about what types of support, exactly, it is that the defense contractor provides.

“There are a lot of things we can’t tell you about how Lockheed Martin supports Special Operations Forces, but we can tell you Lockheed Martin provides what they need, where they need it, whenever they need it.” Reads a statement released by Lockheed on Friday.

SOF GLSS is the follow-on award to the SOF CLSS contract. It is an $8 billion, 10-year, IDIQ contract vehicle that provides the USSOCOM community with global logistics and sustainment services. It is the Command’s largest service contract vehicle, providing the full scope of logistics services required to support the U.S. Special Operations community.”

Although Lockheed Martin is often thought of as an aircraft developer and manufacturer thanks to high-profile (and often controversial) programs like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the full scope of their capabilities include technology-based innovation to develop or support nearly every aspect of a warfighter’s gear – and with good reason.  Lockheed regularly finds itself sitting atop the list of the Pentagon’s top 100 contractors, with the U.S. taxpayer doling out $36.2 billion to the company in 2015.  For perspective, that same year, Lockheed’s total revenue figure was around $45.6 billion.

“Under the SOF GLSS contract, U.S. Special Operations Forces will receive a wide range of tailored logistics, maintenance and sustainment services across aviation, ground and maritime platforms.” Lockheed said of their latest contract.

Just about all Lockheed will say about the details of this new SOCCOM contract, is that they bring three important support services to the table intended specifically for the special operations war fighter.

In addition, the Lockheed Martin SOF GLSS team will provide USSOCOM with total global logistics support services across three core competencies: Streamlined Design and Rapid Prototyping, Production, Modification, and Integration, and Lifecycle Sustainment Activities.”

Streamlined design and prototyping in the special operations world might be the most interesting aspect of their agreement with the Pentagon, as tier one units like SEAL Team 6 (who now operate under a different, classified moniker) are often the very first to field the latest in warfighting technology.  If a piece of equipment proved capable, resilient, and effective for a SEAL Team 6 operator, that gear often gets funneled down into the SEALs at large, and sometimes, even into the arsenals of America’s infantry troops.

Lockheed Martin concluded its release with a thank you to SOCOM, for continuing its thirty year partnership with the company.

Image courtesy of the U.S. Army