USAF Extends Boeing’s Extreme Environmental Testing for Defense Platforms Under $559M Contract

Boeing will continue testing critical U.S. defense platforms at the Little Mountain Test Facility at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, under a new five-year contract of up to $559 million from the U.S. Air Force. 

The defense and space company has been operating and maintaining the facility since 1974, performing extreme environmental tests on intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear programs and other critical U.S. defense capabilities. 

The environmental tests performed in the facility include radiation and electromagnetic effects. The facility also conducts tests and provides technical support on non-nuclear platforms for the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy,  Boeing said Tuesday.

Ted Kerzie, acting vice president of Boeing Strategic Missile and Defense Systems, stressed the urgency of rigorous testing for the U.S. defense systems’ deterrence capabilities. Boeing provides “world-class” test engineers for the support service that the company is honored to continue, Kerzie said. 

According to Boeing, the capabilities and capacity of the Little Mountain Facility will be enhanced further to support the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center also located at Hill Air Force Base. The center hosts new USAF Software Mission Assurance Center supporting the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile development and providing a collaborative space for government and contractor software developers.