Lockheed Martin Signs Platform One Basic Ordering Agreement

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a basic ordering agreement, or BOA, adding the defense contractor to the U.S. Air Force’s Platform One, which provides managed DevSecOps services across the Defense Department, according to a press release. 

The agreement, announced last week, allows Lockheed to bid on task orders associated with Platform One, Lockheed Martin spokesperson Chris Pettigrew told Nextgov. In the near-term, Lockheed aims to use the BOA to provide services related to Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, projects, Pettigrew said. 

Pettigrew explained the agreement allows for a collaborative exchange of services and assets between Platform One and Lockheed’s own software factory. This news comes as DOD looks at commercializing Platform One. In January, the Air Force published a draft request for information looking at establishing a Cooperating Research and Development Agreement, or CRADA, for Platform One. 

“It’s clear from their actions that Lockheed Martin is embracing DevSecOps and is committed to advancing Platform One capabilities,” Nicolas Chaillan, the Air Force’s chief software officer, said in the Lockheed Martin press release. “Collaboration with industry is key to the success of Platform One and other advanced cloud and software efforts, and we look forward to working with the Defense Industrial Base to improve the way we deliver fast, secure and high-quality code to warfighters.”

BOAs are used to speed up contracting when specific requirements are unknown at the time the agreement is made, according to Acquisition.gov. This framework, along with Platform One’s continuous Authority to Operate, facilitates the DevSecOps framework by allowing for agile development responsive to needs as they grow and evolve. 

The BOA can also be used for U.S. Cyber Command task orders, according to the press release. Prior to this agreement, Lockheed Martin worked with the Platform One team on what Pettigrew characterized as an exploratory basis. 

“Software is at the heart of every system we deliver, and we understand the DoD’s urgent need for faster deliveries, more powerful mission capabilities, and open-source, open-architecture foundations for software,” Yvonne Hodge, a senior vice president at Lockheed Martin, said. “Platform One is a truly innovative approach that is propelling the DoD’s DevSecOps evolution, and the collaboration with industry has helped us build infrastructure and capabilities that are well-aligned to the DoD’s vision.”

Platform One hosts the code for the Advanced Battle Management System, another Air Force project that serves as the implementation effort for JADC2. Lockheed Martin has been involved in the on-ramp exercises for ABMS, according to the release.