Heinrich Announces $12 Million Air Force Contract For Albuquerque’s Applied Technology Associates

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed an announcement from the U.S. Air Force that it will award a $11.9 million contract to Albuquerque-based Applied Technology Associates (ATA) for a ground-based, multi-aperture space imaging system.

“Applied Technology Associates is a great example of a homegrown small business that is creating good-paying jobs and positioning our state as a national leader in emerging high-tech fields,” said Senator Heinrich. “We know that small businesses are engines of job creation and at the heart of our state's economy. That is precisely why I’ve used my position on the Armed Services Committee to advocate for New Mexico's small businesses and highlight the value they can offer to the Department of Defense. I will continue to support smart investments and opportunities that allow our businesses to thrive.”

“ATA is excited to apply our technical capabilities and investments in the development of new solutions for critical DoD mission needs both for improved Space Situational Awareness systems and High Energy Laser weapons,” said Dan Gillings, ATA President.

Applied Technology Associates is a precision measurement, sensing and controls company providing services and products to the Department of Defense, NASA, and other customers. Space is an increasingly important domain for the military, and ATA is one of many small businesses in New Mexico providing industry solutions and creating jobs in the local economy. ATA has 199 employees in the state, and in the last year alone created 52 additional jobs in New Mexico. On the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Heinrich has fought to increase investments in space situational awareness and has worked to strengthen Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base.