The contract is valued at 311.5 million USD and is to be carried out from October 1, 2025, until the end of March 2031. It is divided into several stages, five twelve-month periods (the first twelve months being a guaranteed contract, and the remaining four annual options) plus one six-month period. An open tender procedure was used to select the contractor; however, only one bid was submitted.
Photo: Military Sealift Command
TOTE Services Inc. will be responsible for the operational activities and maintenance of the platform. It is used to support the U.S. early warning system and is part of the missile defense shield being developed on the West Coast of the United States.
The key component of the SBX-1 is the semi-submersible CS-50 floating platform, on which a long-range radar station equipped with an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) antenna is installed. Its main area of operations is around Adak Island in Alaska. However, it also spends a significant amount of time near Hawaii (where it is based at Pearl Harbor). This relates to the utilization of the station’s capabilities for various research and development activities. The platform’s crew consists of around 80 people, most of whom are civilian personnel employed under contract.
