Leidos Holdings, Inc. is a premier American science, engineering, and information technology company headquartered in Reston, Virginia. It is one of the largest and most prominent government contractors in the world, primarily serving the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S. Intelligence Community, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and other major federal civilian agencies, as well as select commercial markets.
The modern company was formed in 2013 when the original Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) split into two publicly traded companies: one retaining the name (SAIC) and the other named Leidos. In 2016, Leidos merged with Lockheed Martin's Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) business, massively expanding its scale and capabilities, particularly in IT, health, and civil services.
What the Company Does: Systems Integration, Services, and Hardware
Unlike a traditional manufacturing or software company that sells singular products, Leidos is fundamentally a solutions provider and systems integrator. Its core business involves operating on large-scale, often multi-billion dollar and multi-decade government contracts to solve complex challenges by managing personnel, integrating sophisticated technology, developing software, and providing operational support.
Leidos's business is organized into several primary sectors, each offering specialized services and products.
1. Defense Solutions
This is Leidos's largest business segment. The company provides advanced technological services and expertise to every branch of the U.S. military. Leidos does not manufacture platforms like tanks, ships, or jets; rather, it designs and integrates the advanced digital systems, sensors, software, and networks that operate on those platforms.
Key offerings include:
* C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance): Leidos develops and maintains the software and hardware systems that allow military forces to gather data (via sensors, signals intelligence, etc.), analyze that data using AI and machine learning, and communicate securely on the battlefield.
* Systems Engineering and Modernization: Upgrading the electronics, weapons systems, and software on existing military hardware (such as aircraft, ground vehicles, and ships) to extend their life and improve their capabilities.
* Cybersecurity: Providing a full spectrum of defensive and offensive cyber operations support, protecting critical DoD networks, and developing cyber warfare tools and analytics.
* Logistics and Mission Support: Developing and managing complex global logistics software for the military supply chain and providing operational support, training, and simulation services.
2. Health Solutions
Leidos is one of the largest federal health IT contractors in the United States. This sector focuses on modernizing healthcare systems for government agencies and supporting advanced biomedical research.
* Electronic Health Record (EHR) Modernization: Leidos's most significant health program is its role as the prime systems integrator for the DoD Genesis program (MHS GENESIS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) EHR Modernization (EHRM). Leidos is responsible for implementing and managing the deployment of the new standardized Cerner (now Oracle Health) EHR platform across every military and VA hospital and clinic worldwide.
* Biomedical Research: Leidos provides extensive research and scientific support to federal agencies. This includes a 40-plus-year contract to operate and manage the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research on behalf of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
* Public Health Analytics: Providing IT, analytics, and data modernization services to agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
3. Civil Solutions
This group provides services to all non-defense and non-health federal agencies, focusing on modernizing critical national infrastructure.
* Aviation Modernization: Leidos is the primary contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It develops and maintains critical components of the National Airspace System (NAS), including the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system, which is the foundational air traffic control software used by controllers across the U.S.
* Energy and Infrastructure: Leidos is a major contractor for the Department of Energy (DOE), providing engineering, security, and operational support for the national energy grid, environmental remediation at nuclear sites, and scientific support for facilities like the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
* Space Exploration: The company provides systems engineering, mission integration, and IT support for NASA programs.
This is the Leidos sector that operates most like a traditional manufacturing company, producing and selling distinct hardware products. This division, which includes the technology acquired from Reveal Imaging Technologies, designs screening technology used at aviation checkpoints, ports, and borders globally.
Baggage and Passenger Screening: Leidos manufactures the Reveal? line of Explosives Detection Systems (EDS). These are advanced Computed Tomography (CT) scanners (like the CT-80 series) that automatically detect explosives and other threats in checked baggage, meeting the highest global security standards like those from the TSA.
Cargo and Vehicle Inspection: Leidos produces the VACIS? (Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System) product line. These are large-scale scanning systems?ranging from mobile truck-mounted units to large gantry systems?that use high-energy X-ray and gamma-ray technology to scan entire cargo containers, trucks, and rail cars for contraband, weapons, and illicit materials at ports of entry and security checkpoints.
Please note: This information is generated by AI. For legal use, verify with company sources.
