High-end consulting firm Engility is joining a $4 billion U.S. defense program aimed at advancing research into ways of combating weapons of mass destruction.

The anti-WMD project is being run by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a U.S. Department of Defense agency tasked with countering WMD threats both at their potential inception and in actual combat scenarios. The agency has headquarters in Fort Belvoir, Va., and employs 2,000 personnel worldwide.

Engility emerged as a prime contractor on the multi-award contract for providing an array of technology and engineering services to support anti-WMD research and development.

The award builds on existing work Engility performs for the agency, the company said.

"This win expands on work we are currently doing for DTRA under the weapons of mass destruction defeat technology indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract and we are pleased and honored by this new opportunity," said Tony Smeraglinolo, Engility president and chief executive officer.

He said the company has a long history serving the agency in the field and the new contract "reflects the superior past performance and reliability our people have provided."

The scope of activity under the new contract will cover a range of research and development work, including systems engineering, systems survivability, and medical and physical counter measures against weapons of mass destruction.

The work will also entail research into technical nuclear forensics, nuclear detection, standoff detection, verification technologies and nuclear sensor platforms.

Although details of the contract were not discussed, the agency's scope is international, with civilian and military personnel employed in about 14 locations as far apart as Russia and several of its former Soviet republics, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The contract has a five-year base plus a five-year option. The fee structure, which may vary by task order, is anticipated to be primarily cost-plus-fixed-fee, Engility said.

Engility's range of expertise and services include consulting, program and business support services, engineering and technology life cycle support, information technology modernization and sustainment, supply chain services and logistics management. The company also provides training and education for the U.S. government.

Engility Holdings Inc., based in Chantilly, Va., has about 7,000 employees worldwide and earned $1.66 billion in 2012.

Last month the U.S. Navy picked Engility as a prime contractor on a multimillion-dollar contract for engineering support.

That contract, with a potential value of $243 million if all options are exercised, is also a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award and is in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Department, Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division in Patuxent River, Md., and St. Inigoes, Md.