The U.S. Air Force's Technical Applications Center (AFTAC), based at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, awarded a six-year Expert Scientific and Analytical Support (ESAS) contract worth up to $36.5 million to QinetiQ North America. Under the contract, QinetiQ North America will work with AFTAC's Atmosphere and Space Directorate to support its mission to operate and maintain the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System. The Atomic Energy Detection System monitors foreign compliance with treaties limiting nuclear testing. QinetiQ North America's role is to work closely with AFTAC's scientists and engineers to support mission readiness with advanced concepts to improve current detection and analysis methods, techniques, tools, and systems and research and development of systems and detection technologies to meet future operational mission requirements for monitoring treaties and other directed technology applications.