The U.S. Air Force awarded Enlighten IT Consulting a $332.8 million contract to provide edge data analytics, storage and transport for its Integrated Defensive Cyber System. The work, awarded Sept. 30, 2026, runs through Sept. 30, 2032 and links Air Force and Space Force cyber defenses to the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture.
What's happening
- Enlighten IT Consulting won the firm-fixed-price contract after competition that drew 7 offers.
- The contract delivers enterprise service for the Common Runtime Stack for Data, which handles analytics, storage and data transport at the network edge.
- Work supports both Air Force and Space Force cyber operations across locations inside and outside the continental United States.
- The Air Force procured the service through a Commercial Solutions Opening on the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, a Pentagon platform that accelerates contract awards.
Why it matters
- Edge processing of network data eliminates delays in shipping every byte to a central data center, enabling faster threat detection and response.
- Linking the Integrated Defensive Cyber System to the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture gives cyber teams from different units and services a unified picture of network threats.
- The contract extends integrated cyber defense across Air Force and Space Force networks, consolidating what previously sat in separate tools.
Going deeper
- Enlighten IT Consulting, acquired by HII through its 2023 purchase of Alion Science and Technology, previously held Air Force contracts for the Integrated Defensive Cyber System's data fabric.
- In 2025, the company won a $53 million contract to support the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture's Common Runtime Stack for Data.
Financial impact
- Revenue will be recognized over the 6-year period from Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2032 as services are delivered under the firm-fixed-price structure.
- Funding comes from fiscal 2026 Air Force operations and maintenance and research and development funds, plus Space Force research and development and operations funds.
- The announcement did not disclose how much was obligated at the time of award, indicating the full $332.8 million ceiling may be spread across the performance period.
The fine print
- Contract value is $332.8 million firm-fixed-price, but obligated funding at award was not disclosed.
- Work spans locations inside and outside the continental United States, adding logistical and security considerations to execution.
Source: defence-blog.com · Oct 20, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.
