With Defense Enclave Services, DISA hopes to bring together all the fourth estate under one architecture. (John Kandrac / DoD)
The Defense Information Systems Agency has awarded Leidos a potential $11.5 billion contract for Defense Enclave Services, an effort to streamline the Pentagon’s network infrastructure of non-service-specific agencies, the Defense Department announced Monday.
Under the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract, the company will lead the Fourth Estate Network Optimization initiative — a process that will consolidate systems, personnel, functions, among other program elements.
The Fourth Estate networks include 81 global sites, approximately 20,000 users and an estimated 40,000 end points, not including the number of people working remotely during the pandemic.
“The objective of the DES contract is to provide integrated, standardized, and cost-effective IT services; while improving security, network availability, and reliability for the 22 defense agencies and field activities within DoD’s Fourth Estate,” according to the original Feb. 28 DoD contract announcement. “DES will establish the modern infrastructure foundation and united frame of thought needed to deliver cohesive combat support capabilities to the warfighter.”
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Defense Enclave Services, part of DoD’s Digital Modernization Strategy, will consolidate everything digital operations from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to agencies like the Defense Logistics Agency and Missile Defense Agency, Breaking Defense previously reported.
The contract has a potential 10-year period of performance with a base ordering period through Feb. 27, 2026, according to the contract announcement.
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