General Dynamics, Northrop Win $4.4B AF Special Access Program Contract

General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman today won a $4.445 billion contract for the Air Force (AF) Special Access Program (SAP) security support services effort.

This contract provides for assistance of the AF cognizant security authority in oversight of enhanced national security objectives supporting AF SAP interests, a U.S. DoD release today said.

A large majority of the work will be performed in the National Capital Region and is expected to be completed March 9, 2031.

Special Access Programs (SAPs) in the U.S. Federal Government are security protocols that provide highly classified information with safeguards and access restrictions that exceed those for regular (collateral) classified information. SAPs can range from black projects to routine but especially-sensitive operations, such as COMSEC maintenance or Presidential transportation support. In addition to collateral controls, a SAP may impose more stringent investigative or adjudicative requirements, specialized nondisclosure agreements, special terminology or markings, exclusion from standard contract investigations (carve-outs), and centralized billet systems. Within the Department of Defense, SAP is better known as "SAR" by the mandatory Special Access Required (SAR) markings.