Qwaltec has won a five-year, $19 million contract with the U.S. Navy for Satellite Operations and Maintenance Services (SOMS) contract, which is located at the Navy Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC) in Point Mugu, Calif.

The Qwaltec team consists of Qwaltec, Inc. and LJT and Associates, Inc., based in Columbia, Md. The $19 million contract covers a five-year period of performance and began in October.

"We are thrilled for the opportunity to support the U.S. Navy in its critical defense mission," says Qwaltec CEO Shawn Linam, who is a former NASA spaceflight instructor.

The team will provide support services for NAVSOC to operate, manage and maintain ground systems, providing continuous, reliable and endurable global space communication in direct support of the Fleet, the Joint Warfighter and Interagency Users.

The work is to be performed at NAVSOC headquarters located at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), Point Mugu; NAVSOC Detachment Delta located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.; NAVSOC Detachment Alfa located in Prospect Harbor, Maine; and Detachment Charlie located in Finegayan, Guam.

Qwaltec has been working in the aerospace industry for 15 years. It has 45 employees and has brought on 17 more since contract award.

"It's very hard to break the threshold as a prime contractor in defense work, and I couldn't have asked for a better team to work alongside," Linam says.