Rivet Operations Company has secured a major milestone in its defense contracting portfolio by being awarded the U.S. Army’s Strategic Base Management Contract (SBMC), a multi-billion-dollar prime contract focused on Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems support. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract is valued at up to $2.25 billion over a 10-year period and positions Rivet as a key player in sustaining and advancing mission-critical technologies across the Army’s enterprise.
Scope and Objectives of the SBMC Program
The Strategic Base Management Contract is designed to provide comprehensive life cycle support for C5ISR systems used by the U.S. Army and other Department of Defense (DoD) customers. The contract consolidates multiple legacy support contracts into a single streamlined vehicle aimed at improving efficiency and responsiveness in delivering technical services.
Key objectives of the SBMC include:
- Providing integrated logistics support (ILS), engineering services, fielding assistance, training, and sustainment for C5ISR platforms.
- Supporting rapid prototyping and technology insertion efforts across tactical networks and sensor suites.
- Enabling readiness through depot-level maintenance operations at facilities such as Tobyhanna Army Depot.
- Facilitating modernization initiatives aligned with Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concepts.
The program is managed by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland—a major hub for R&D and lifecycle management of battlefield communications systems.
Rivet’s Role as Prime Contractor
As prime contractor under the SBMC vehicle, Rivet will lead a team of subcontractors to deliver full-spectrum lifecycle services across multiple locations including APG; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina; Joint Base San Antonio; Redstone Arsenal; and other CONUS/OCONUS sites as required by task orders.
The company will be responsible for managing task orders that span:
- Sustainment engineering for tactical radios, satellite terminals, EO/IR sensors, SIGINT equipment.
- Configuration management and software/hardware integration for evolving C5ISR architectures.
- Field service representative (FSR) deployments supporting units during exercises or contingency operations worldwide.
This marks Rivet’s first time serving as a prime on such a large-scale IDIQ within this domain. Previously known more for its work in intelligence analysis support roles within the IC community, this award significantly expands Rivet’s footprint in defense sustainment operations tied directly to warfighter readiness.
C5ISR Modernization Context
The award comes amid growing emphasis on modernizing battlefield networks under programs such as Capability Set fielding cycles led by PEO C3T (Program Executive Office Command Control Communications-Tactical). These efforts aim to deliver resilient communications architectures that can operate in contested environments featuring electronic warfare threats or degraded GNSS conditions.
The SBMC supports these modernization goals by enabling rapid fielding of new systems—such as resilient SATCOM-on-the-move terminals or AI-enabled ISR processing nodes—while maintaining legacy platforms still critical to current force structure. This dual-focus is essential given budget constraints that require balancing innovation with sustainment efficiency.
Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Central Role
Aberdeen Proving Ground remains central to execution of the SBMC due to its concentration of organizations like:
- CECOM Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC)
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – C5ISR Center
- Army Test & Evaluation Command (ATEC)
This ecosystem allows close coordination between R&D entities designing next-generation capabilities and logistics teams ensuring those capabilities are deployable at scale with appropriate training packages and sustainment plans in place from day one.
Strategic Implications for Industry
The award underscores a broader trend within DoD acquisition strategy—favoring long-term IDIQ vehicles that allow flexibility while holding primes accountable for performance across multiple functional areas. For mid-tier firms like Rivet seeking growth beyond subcontractor roles under larger OEMs or integrators like Leidos or General Dynamics Mission Systems, contracts like SBMC offer both opportunity and risk management challenges related to scalability.
If executed effectively over its base period plus options totaling up to ten years, this contract could serve as a springboard for Rivet into adjacent domains such as cyber operations support or autonomous ISR platform integration—especially if paired with success on future recompetes or follow-on task orders involving AI/ML applications in signal processing or network defense analytics.
Conclusion
The U.S. Army’s selection of Rivet as prime contractor for the Strategic Base Management Contract marks a significant shift in how lifecycle services are delivered across its global C5ISR enterprise. With up to $2.25 billion on the table over ten years—and mission sets ranging from depot maintenance through forward-deployed FSRs—the program represents both an operational imperative and an industrial opportunity amid accelerating digital transformation of military command-and-control infrastructure.
