Alion manages former Air Force lab

• Tweet

MCLEAN, Va., July 11 (UPI) -- Alion Science and Technology will manage and promote the former U.S. Air Force Research Lab facility in Mesa, Ariz., as a Technology Center of Excellence.

Under the five-year contract from the city, Alion will provide facility management and business attraction services to the city of Mesa to preserve, promote and expand aerospace, defense and homeland security research and development.

The 80,000-square-foot facility includes an adjacent airstrip plus laboratory and office space to accommodate more than 200 scientists, engineers and technicians.

"This award gives Alion a substantial presence in a geographically strategic area where we can advance the needs of the Mesa government, work closely with Arizona State University and be recognized as the provider of choice for integration, modeling and simulation, test and evaluation services and lab operations," said retired Navy Rear Adm. Richard E. Brooks, Alion senior vice president and manager of the Distributed Simulation Group.

"From the U.S. Customs and the Border Patrol to the Department of Defense, technology demands are rapidly increasing in the Southwest. It's a vibrant region with expanding needs for capabilities and facilities that can foster innovation."