RELEASE
Wicker, Cochran Announce Army Contract to Advance Supercomputing at ERDC in Vicksburg
With $88.8 Million Contract, Army Continues to Invest in Vicksburg Facility to Boost Advanced Computing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today announced the award of an $88.8 million defense contract to continue expansion of high performance computing capabilities at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contract is the result of increased federal defense funding provided by Congress for a high performance computing modernization project at ERDC. Wicker and Cochran have supported this national security initiative through their positions on the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee, respectively.
“High-performance computing is critical to maintaining America’s military superiority,” Wicker said. “Today’s announcement is further proof that Mississippi continues to play a valued role in supporting our national security.”
“Expanding the computing capabilities at the Engineer Research and Development Center gives the Defense Department the access to technologies to protect and make our servicemen and women the best trained and equipped in the world,” said Cochran, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I am proud of the great work being done in Vicksburg, which is one of our nation’s emerging technology hubs.”
All work associated with the $88.8 million contract will be performed in Vicksburg. The award represents the second-year option of a four-year contract for the Army Corps of Engineers Information Technology Information Management/Information Technology Enterprises Services. The cumulative total of this contract is $162.9 million with an estimated completion date in January 2018.
Over the past two fiscal years, Congress has appropriated $222 million for the Department of Defense (DOD) high performance computing modernization project, which is headquartered at ERDC, in conjunction with the Navy DOD Supercomputing Resource Center at the Stennis Space Center. ERDC provides overall management and technical support necessary to advance DOD high performance computing capabilities throughout the nation.
1/26/17
Magnolia Tribune
