Waterford - Sonalysts Inc., which predominantly does work for the Navy, has been awarded a contract to develop a Global Positioning System satellite operator training system for the Air Force Space Command.

The $17.1 million contract, with options that make the contract worth up to $20.6 million, is part of the company's efforts to continue to diversify into other lines of business, according to a press release Monday.

Sonalysts traditionally provides analysis of submarine sonar systems and a wide variety of airborne, surface, subsurface and land-based navy systems.

The new work is implemented through a contract modification, which brings the total value of the Small Business Innovative Research contract to $39.5 million. Sonalysts said it plans to use its expertise in computer games, satellite operations and complex emulation, modeling and simulation to produce a cost-effective training system for Air Force GPS satellite operators.

About 30 software engineers and training experts from the company's offices in Waterford and Colorado Springs, Colo., will work on the project.

The new system, to be completed in 2016, will be used to train satellite operators from the 50th Operations Support Squadron and 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado and the 533rd Training Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, according to Sonalysts.