Military facility on Kauai gets $42M

Kauai's huge high-tech military range just got another shot in the arm.

A military contractor will receive $42 million for general services at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, the Pentagon announced Friday.

The Defense Department awarded ITT Corp.'s Systems Division $42,177,137 for operational support at Barking Sands and its offshore range.

ITT's Systems Division, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., provides 500 employees for basic services, such as electrical work and landscaping, and technical support, such as running and maintaining radar equipment, said Tom Clements, PRMF spokesman.

ITT has provided general services since at least 2004 for the facility, Kauai's largest employer.

On an average day about 900 civilian employees, active-duty Navy members and private contractors work at the facility, the largest multienvironment range in the world.

Barking Sands has been at the forefront of sea-based ballistic missile defense tests.

The ocean range west of Barking Sands, which includes 1,100 square miles for subsea operations and 42,000 square miles of controlled airspace, is able to support surface, subsurface, air and space operations simultaneously, according to its Web site.