Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded a $499 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Air Force in support of the ASAPTR program.

The competitively awarded Aerospace Systems Air Platform Technology Research (ASAPTR) contract is to conduct research for affordable, revolutionary capabilities for the warfighter.

"ASAPTR builds on Aurora's work over the past decade as part of the AVIATR program," said Aurora Chairman and CEO John Langford. "Aurora's Research and Technology Division concentrates on the technologies of autonomy, electric propulsion, advanced manufacturing, multi-vehicle coordination, and advanced multi-dimensional optimization. All of these will be brought to bear for the Air Force through ASAPTR."

Contracted under the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia and other Aurora locations and is expected to be completed by 2025.