Antarctica’s $8B Contract Up for Grabs as Leidos Steps Aside
Leidos has announced it will not compete for the upcoming 20-year, $8 billion recompete of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Antarctic support contract, which the company has managed since acquiring Lockheed Martin’s IS&GS unit in 2016. The contract, which expires Sept. 30, covers critical operations such as maintaining ice airstrips, managing remote field camps, and supporting icebreaking vessels.
Leidos Chief Growth Officer Jason Albanese explained that while the company has successfully managed the program for years, its scope does not align with the company’s NorthStar 2030 strategy, which focuses on digital modernization and cyber, space and maritime, energy infrastructure, highly customized mission software, and managed health services. “Executing a huge contract like Antarctic support, it takes cycles, and it takes energy and everything else,” Albanese said. “We think that energy, that focus, is better served on the growth pillars and where we're going in the future.”
From a contractor’s perspective, this decision opens the door for new players to take on one of the most challenging logistical and infrastructure contracts in the world. As Professional Overseas Contractors (POC) noted: “Antarctica remains one of the harshest and most remote operating environments on earth. Whoever steps into this role will not just be managing logistics—they’ll be testing the limits of contractor resilience and ingenuity. For our members, it’s a reminder of both the scale and complexity of overseas contracts, and why adaptability is the lifeblood of this industry.” With Leidos stepping aside, competition among major firms—including Parsons and V2X’s Polar Science Alliance—will likely intensify as the NSF prepares to award the next iteration of this historic program.