(Tribune News Service) — A NextGen Federal Systems research division has won its first Small Business Innovation Research Phase III award from the Air Force, the company announced Monday.

The company said the award is its largest contract award to date for its Research and Development division.

The ceiling for the award is $16.5 million, with options that could extend contract work over four years.

The company has offices in Beavercreek. Ohio R&D elements will be involved in aspects of the work, said Daryl Everding, who leads the company’s Research & Development/Technical Solutions division.

Phase III awards are considered significant. They can offer the right to sole-source contracts, and there are no limits on the dollar size of a Phase III procurement, among other benefits.

This project involves work on a cyber-secure weather machine learning operations production platform, with a “global synthetic weather radar” to meet Air Force weather mission needs, the business said. Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence.

The work will involve machine learning, data science and engineering, and software development.

“NextGen is excited to embark on this groundbreaking project, and through collaboration with the United States Air Force, we aim to enhance weather intelligence capabilities, ultimately contributing to the success of military operations,” NextGen Technical Director Bob Farrell said in a statement.

“By developing accurate and timely weather intelligence for military planning and execution, NextGen will sustain and build on the work already accomplished to deliver a world-class ML (machine learning) operation that provides accurate weather insights in support of U.S. strategic programs,” the Morgantown, W.Va.-based company said.

NextGen opened the Beavercreek office in 2016 to support subcontract work on the Advanced Technical Exploitation Program with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

“NextGen Federal Systems is proud to be at the forefront of innovation, and this award represents our commitment to advancing the field of weather forecasting and machine learning,” Chetan Desai, NextGen chief operating officer, said in his release. “The company looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and other stakeholders to create more groundbreaking solutions for the future.”

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