COURT TO MULL PROTEST CONTRACT CHALLENGE HEADS TO FEDERAL COURT.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - Federal court hearings begin this month on Computer Science Corp.'s allegations the government erred when it awarded a $1.7 billion, 15-year test range support contract to another company.

CSC - which employs almost one-fifth of Edwards Air Force Base's work force - filed a protest with the Court of Federal Claims, contesting the contract awarded in June to JT3, a Nevada partnership. CSC had done the work at Edwards for several years.

Details of the protest are unknown because it was filed under seal.

The Air Force won't discuss the case, citing a policy not to discuss pending litigation, and CSC limited its comments to one statement acknowledging a protest had been filed.

``The Air Force failed to make a proper and reasonable contract award in accordance with law and regulation,'' CSC said in a statement.

Oral arguments are scheduled to be held Nov. 28. A decision by Judge Bohdan Futey could come in December.

JT3 was originally scheduled to take over the work on Oct. 1. Because of the protest, that date was pushed back until Dec. 1. Now, because of uncertainties over when a decision will be rendered, the official start date for the contract has been delayed again, this time to Jan. 1.

Under the contract, JT3 will provide support for Edwards' Air Force Flight Test Center, the Nevada Test and Training Range, the Utah Test and Training Range, and the Navy's Electronic Combat Range at China Lake.

JT3 will provide operations and maintenance, engineering and technical services for instrumentation, communications and data system.

JT3 will also provide hardware and software support; modeling, simulation and training; equipment modifications; information technology; test planning; scheduling and execution; and data collection, reduction and analysis.

Most of CSC's 1,000 Edwards Air Force Base employees are expected to transfer to JT3.

JT3 is a limited liability corporation formed by EG&G Technical Services and Raytheon Technical Services Co.

EG&G operates military ranges and facilities in New Mexico and Arizona and has base operations support contracts in Texas and Alabama. Raytheon provides technical, scientific and professional services for the military, other arms of the federal government and private companies.