Jane Edwards 
- Self-propelled howitzers will receive DIGS first
- Initial orders cover over 20 howitzer battalions
- The 2027 Defense R&D Summit will explore AI, unmanned systems and more
Detroit Defense has won a potential four-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Army through a competitive commercial solutions opening, or CSO, to develop, integrate, deploy and sustain the Digital Logbook, or DLB, and Data Integration for Ground Systems, or DIGS, maintenance capabilities.
Digital tools are becoming a larger part of how the Army maintains its ground and watercraft fleets. Government and industry leaders will gather at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2027 Defense R&D Summit on Feb. 4 to explore unmanned systems, trusted AI and autonomy, future-generation wireless capabilities and 5G, human-machine interfaces and more. Book your spot now to hear from Department of War and national security technology officials on the technologies and policies shaping the future of warfare.
What Is the Scope of the Army Contract?
The company said Monday that Army Contracting Command–Detroit Arsenal awarded the IDIQ contract, which has a $49.9 million ceiling and a performance period running through September 2030.
Detroit Defense will maintain the DLB software on an ongoing basis and add both capabilities to newer and older Army vehicles, with the engineering work based at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center’s Software Engineering Center in Warren, Michigan. Teams will also roll out the systems to Army units at home and abroad, handling installation, equipment training, kitting and field service representative support.
The rollout begins with self-propelled howitzers. The company said the CSO provides the Army with a path to extend the capabilities to additional vehicle types over time. The Army will hold government purpose rights to software produced under the contract.
Nathan Clark, senior vice president of mission systems at Detroit Defense, said the awards move DLB and DIGS into wider use across Army artillery and watercraft units.
“When a maintainer pulls up a 5988-E that filled itself in from the vehicle instead of a clipboard, that is accurate data reaching the commander without anyone retyping it. More equipment stays ready, and commanders know what they have,” Clark added.
How Do DLB & DIGS Support Army Maintenance?
With DLB and DIGS, Army maintenance crews use ruggedized tablets to check vehicle health, pull up electronic repair manuals and link to the Army’s Global Combat Support System. The capabilities draw on vehicle sensor data to fill out DA Form 5988-E entries automatically and are designed to reduce manual input and improve commanders’ visibility into readiness.
What Task Orders Has Detroit Defense Received?
Two initial orders valued at $8.1 million will fund engineering, testing and sustainment work on DLB and DIGS at the Warren-based center, as well as DIGS installation across over 20 self-propelled howitzer battalions. The company will prepare the equipment at its Sterling Heights, Michigan, site and then send teams to each unit for installation, training and follow-on support.
AR1, Detroit Defense’s joint venture with ACE Electronics, secured a separate $1.7 million order through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Gateway to Readiness contract to supply DIGS sets to Product Manager Army Watercraft Systems in 2027 for landing craft, logistic support vessels and modular causeway systems. The order also covers instructor courses, new technical manuals and a compact charging case designed for the Maneuver Support Vessel-Light.
What Is Detroit Defense?
Detroit Defense is a provider of systems, technical services and integrated logistics that supports DOW and allied forces, including integrating new capabilities into legacy military platforms. The company also leads a five-company team that won an Army contract for a vehicle predictive sustainment effort at Fort Hood in Texas. The team will use sensors and software to flag parts likely to fail before a breakdown.
On the Navy side, Detroit Defense holds a five-year contract to sustain and modernize the SPECS 2.5 aviation maintenance system used by the Navy and Marine Corps. In September, the company acquired Athenix Solutions Group to add intelligence community and special operations expertise to its systems engineering and integration capabilities.
In an Executive Spotlight interview, Frank Sturek, senior VP and head of growth at Detroit Defense, discussed the company’s plans to triple in size and reach $300 million in revenue through organic growth and acquisitions.
