WASHINGTON — The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded task-order contracts worth up to $1.6 billion in total to five companies for advisory services related to ballistic missile defense testing, the Defense Department announced Aug. 30.

The winning firms are: General Dynamics Information Technology of Fairfax, Va., Sparta Inc. of Lake Forest, Calif., and Huntsville, Ala.-based ERC Inc., Madison Research Corp., and Computer Sciences Corp.

Under the five-year, indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contracts, the firms will provide engineering services and assistance to the MDA’s engineering and test directorates, the press release said.