Technology consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton has won a five-year, $800 million contract from the Department of Defense (DoD) to deliver AI services to support the Joint AI Center (JAIC).
Under the contract, Booz Allen will support the JAIC’s Joint Warfighting National Mission Initiative (JWNMI), serving as prime systems integrator for new AI technologies and products to improve operational effectiveness. The consulting firm will work with industry to source and integrate the most suited technologies.
The JAIC was established by the DoD in 2018 to use AI to bolster national security. In 2019, the JAIC expanded its focus to joint warfighting operations, using AI to increase combat effectiveness through accelerated decision-making and operations. The initiative includes autonomous ground reconnaissance, operations center workflows, and dynamic targeting solutions.
“Booz Allen proudly supports the Defense Department across a range of projects, and we are honored to continue supporting the JAIC in its mission to apply the latest technologies to help ensure our nation’s security,” said Steve Escaravage, a Booz Allen senior vice president and leader of the firm’s analytics and AI business. “AI has transformational potential, but its effectiveness requires both cutting-edge technology and people empowered to put those solutions to work ethically. As the lead integrator, we look forward to combining our deep understanding of both mission and technology to help the JAIC develop and operationalize AI-enabled capabilities across the DoD.”
The task order will include technical services such as data engineering, machine learning model development, and AI product integration, as well as workforce training.
Booz Allen is based in McLean, Virginia, and is one of the largest providers of technology and management consulting to the federal government. The company has more than 4,000 analytics practitioners working on AI solutions for clients across US defense, government, and private sectors.
In October 2019, the firm won a contract to support the JAIC with its cybersecurity National Mission Initiative (NMI), focusing on network event detection, user activity monitoring, and cyber data engineering planning.
The firm was also awarded a $561 million task order that centers around improving human performance in the US Army and other agencies, utilizing a data and AI-powered platform.