The U.S. Government Accountability Office has denied a protest from Mistral Inc. challenging a $990 million sole-source U.S. Army contract awarded to AeroVironment Inc. for loitering munitions, finding the Army properly invoked temporary authority provided by the 2023 and 2024 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) to bypass competition.
In a decision issued Dec. 13 and released Monday, the GAO concluded that the Army’s justification for using the public interest exception to full and open competition adhered to statutory and regulatory requirements.
“We find the Army’s [determination and findings, or] D&F sufficiently demonstrates that the Army’s use of the public interest exception to full and open competition was in accordance with the prescribing statute and regulations,” the GAO said.
The LASSO (Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance) contract, awarded in August 2024, is part of the Army’s efforts to support Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel by replenishing defense stocks under temporary authority. The deal was aligned with the Department of Defense’s broader Replicator program, which aims to deploy thousands of low-cost, expendable autonomous systems by 2025.