Lockheed Martin unit to manage former Nevada nuke test site

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A subsidiary of defense giant Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $5 billion contract to manage a vast federal Department of Energy reservation where the nation used to conduct nuclear testing north of Las Vegas.

As the Nevada Test Site, the area hosted more than 1,000 nuclear detonations from 1951 to 1992.

The 1,360-square-mile area, now called the Nevada National Security Site, is used for experiments and safety training related to the nation's nuclear stockpile.

The announcement Friday by the National Nuclear Security Administration said a five-year contract with a five-year option went to Nevada Site Science Support and Technologies Corp.

The Lockheed Martin affiliate plans to partner with a subsidiary of Fluor Corp. and Longenecker and Associates.

The site had been managed by National Security Technologies LLC, a Northrop Grumman joint venture with three partners.

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