WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Officials with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Agile Combat Support Directorate, headquartered here, recently awarded a $22, 271,926 contract to Specmat Technologies for Personnel Locator Beacons.

The PLB is designed to equip aircrews with a small locator device that will automatically activate in emergency situations and is a replacement for the legacy AN/URT-44 beacons used in the Advanced Concept Ejection Seat II, Back Automatic/Low Profile Parachute and Martin Baker ejection seat configurations.

“We are very excited about the new beacon due to the increased reliability it will provide our aircrews,” said Col. William Mosle, chief for the Human Systems Division within ACS. “Taking care of our warfighters by providing them with equipment that improves their safety is a priority for us.”

Work will be performed at Rockford, Tenn. and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2018. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with three offers received. Fiscal 2017 other procurement funds in the amount of $9,657,050 are being obligated at the time of award.