Lockheed Martin Corporation has announced its respect for the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision to deny the company’s protest regarding the U.S. Air Force’s award of a $293 million contract for the second phase of its Tactical Operations Center-Light (TOC-L) program to Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC).
The protest, filed by Lockheed Martin, challenged SAIC’s eligibility on the grounds of organizational conflicts of interest (OCIs) stemming from its concurrent role as the Air Force’s cloud-based command and control software (CBC2) integrator. Lockheed claimed these roles gave SAIC unfair access to nonpublic information and the ability to influence procurement decisions.
In its decision, dated May 2 and released on May 9, the GAO concluded that the Air Force acted reasonably and implemented adequate measures to mitigate any potential conflict. It determined that contracting officers had thoroughly considered the issue and put in place sufficient oversight, firewalls, and shared access through a “bidder’s library” to level the competitive field.
“Although Lockheed Martin believes SAIC may have advanced its own interests, that belief alone is not enough to override the agency’s documented and reasonable findings,” the GAO noted.
Lockheed Martin initially secured the 36-month first phase of the TOC-L project in January 2023. After the second-phase contract was awarded to SAIC in July 2024, Lockheed and another bidder filed protests. The Air Force responded by reissuing the solicitation in November 2024, reaffirming SAIC’s eligibility after further investigation.
The GAO also dismissed concerns about SAIC’s internal firewall between its CBC2 and TOC-L teams, concluding that Lockheed had not presented sufficient factual evidence to support a challenge under the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Mackey Yan, a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin, stated: “We respect the GAO’s determination and are confident that we provided a competitive and innovative solution. Lockheed Martin remains committed to delivering exceptional capabilities to the Department of the Air Force.”
Legal representation in the matter included Mayer Brown LLP and Lockheed’s in-house counsel for the protester, the U.S. Air Force’s legal team, and SAIC’s representatives from Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP.
The case, Lockheed Martin Corp., file number B-423294, is on record at the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
