Defense Contracting Activity, LLC (DCA) has announced a $25 + million firm fixed-price contract for ptotective services by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services (USDA ARS) at the National Bio Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to bring online a new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. This state-of-the-art facility will be a national asset that helps protect the nation’s agriculture, farmers and citizens against the threat and potential impact of serious animal diseases.
The DHS Science and Technology Directorate is building the facility to standards that fulfill the mission needs of the USDA which will own, manage and operate the NBAF once construction and commissioning activities are complete. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will conduct foreign animal disease research, training and diagnostics in the facility. Animal disease research, diagnostics and training are currently performed at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. However, the aging facility is nearing the end of its lifecycle and does not have the capability to meet research needs in relation to emerging and foreign animal disease threats. NBAF is necessary to meet the requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD-9). As USDA mission requirements expand to meet these challenges, a new facility with enhanced biocontainment capabilities and modern laboratory designs is necessary to fulfill future needs.
