Leidos Inc. has been awarded a $9.7 million contract in support of the Saturn Arch Arial Intelligence System.

The contract, announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense, is for support of the system, which is used for day and night image collection that allows the Army to monitor improvised explosive device, or IED, "hot spot" areas.

Saturn Arch is an aerial IED-neutralizing surveillance platform, using a variety of platforms and sensor assets for detecting and assisting in the removal of enemy IEDs and other threats.

The program has been in service since 2010, and has grown to include more conventional ISR, or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, missions. It is designed to share data with Afghan security forces and other international partners.

IEDs have been the biggest killer of U.S. forces in Afghanistan since 2001. The U.S. military has invested heavily in systems capable of detecting and jamming them.

The platforms use manned and unmanned aircraft with electro-optical and infrared sensors, ground-penetrating radar, and radio-frequency detectors to locate IEDs, allowing friendly forces to either avoid or disable them.

Leidos' work will be performed at its Bridgewater, Va., facility, and is expected to be completed by September.

The Army has obligated $2 million to the company from fiscal 2018 other procurement Army funds at the time of the award.

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