Common Ground Station (Formerly JSTARS CGS)

The Common Ground Station (CGS), formerly known as JSTARS CGS, is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) managed under the Major Capability Acquisition pathway with an Acquisition Category ID designation. The program appears focused on developing and maintaining ground station capabilities for processing, exploitation, and dissemination of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data. Based on contract descriptions, the system incorporates various components including the Distributed Common Ground/Surface System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB), communications equipment, and specialized software for data handling and integration.

Contract awards from 2005-2014 show a mix of development, integration, sustainment, and upgrade activities, with individual award values ranging from approximately $5,000 to over $68 million and performance periods typically spanning 6 months to 3 years. Raytheon Company served as a primary contractor, performing work primarily in Garland, Texas. The majority of contracts were awarded as delivery orders under various IDIQ vehicles including Network-Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) and its successor NETCENTS II. Contract types varied between Firm Fixed Price, Cost Plus Fixed Fee, Cost Plus Incentive Fee, and Labor Hours, with most awards having no set-aside designation. The U.S. Air Force, particularly through the Electronic Systems Center (ESC), appears as the predominant contracting authority. Key deliverables included software development, system integration, engineering support, training, and maintenance services for both domestic and international military installations.