Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Satellite Services Include Network Architecture, Monitoring Artel has been awarded a COMSATCOM Transponded Capacity task order by the Defense Information Systems Agency Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DISA-DITCO), under the Future COMSATCOM Services Acquisition contract. The total contract value of $43.4 million includes one base year of performance and four oneyear options. Artel will provide Ku-band space segment to a Department of Defense customer. Other services include network architecture; contingency support; real-time monitoring; and host nation approval support for terminal licenses for operations in host countries. DISADITCO is utilizing this important procurement vehicle to deploy satellite bandwidth to the DoD customer in support of their mission needs in select global regions.
Upgraded Radio Offers Modern Cryptography In a recent software demonstration at the Army’s Redstone Arsenal Engineering Lab in Huntsville, Ala., Raytheon’s newest RT-1987 radio successfully interfaced with the multiple flight management systems that control the radio and provide status updates to the aircrew. Along with supporting all of the legacy capabilities of the existing radio, the upgraded version will include two significant features—modern cryptography capabilities that offer data security and seamless support of the Mobile User Objective System satellite communications network, providing more than 10 times the capacity of the legacy system it replaces. The RT-1987 radio is the newest member of Raytheon’s SkyFire family of software-defined radios for rotary and fixed wing, manned and unmanned aircraft. It meets the requirements of Joint Tactical Radio System software standards. The SkyFire radios implement the Software Communication Architecture, making it easy to port a waveform from the government repository. SkyFire radios support numerous additional capabilities, including the new Soldier Radio Waveform, which was demonstrated to the Army last year.
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Multi-Mission Aircraft Shows High Mission Availability Textron AirLand, a joint venture between Textron and AirLand Enterprises, has announced that its Scorpion aircraft has completed operations in support of Vigilant Guard 2014, a Northern Command and Kansas National Guard training exercise demonstrating the capabilities of emergency response agencies at all levels of government, both military and civil. With over 2,000 local, state and federal personnel participating, Scorpion
provided color high-definition multi-spectral aerial reconnaissance full-motion video and communications with other aircraft and ground stations. Demonstrating a 100 percent mission availability rate, Scorpion supported rapidlychanging events on the ground, providing the Joint Task Force Commander crucial incident awareness to dynamically re-task surveillance and first responder teams as the complex disaster relief scenarios evolved.
Contract Supports Navy SATCOM Station The Navy has awarded Rome Research Corp., a subsidiary of PAR Technology Corp., a five-year firm-fixedprice contract with a potential total value of $23.5 million to operate and maintain the Navy Satellite Communications Facility (NAVSATCOMMFAC) Northwest, located in Chesapeake, Va., and a component activity of the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic, Norfolk, Va. NAVSATCOMMFAC Northwest is a premier information gateway supporting the Defense Information Systems Agency Global Information Grid, and is one of seven Department of Defense
Teleport facilities worldwide providing both satellite and terrestrial connectivity for voice, video and data to ships, submarines, aircraft and ground forces operating worldwide in support of Naval and Joint Forces Missions. Under the contract, RRC will provide 24/7/365 operation and maintenance of 27 satellite terminals operating in both the military and civilian satellite communication frequency bands. Specific program support includes the Defense Satellite Communications System, Teleport Program Office, Mobile User Objective System and other voice, data and video programs.
Maritime Test Bed Designed for Limited Bandwidth Using a newly-developed advanced maritime test bed, Lockheed Martin has demonstrated how continually evolving technologies such as data fusion and predictive analytics can be used to share intelligence quickly and securely, even in limited-bandwidth naval settings. This new software test platform, designed to mimic different naval environments at sea and on shore, allows Lockheed Martin to validate sophisticated intelligence, communications and sensor systems before they are introduced in an operational setting. In its recent demonstration, Lockheed Martin used its test bed to illustrate how the Navy could fuse simulated Aegis radar data with other integrated ISR sensor data to provide a comprehensive picture of the battlespace. Throughout the scenario, the test bed
collected, analyzed and processed the data, then distributed the data to simulated platforms at sea and on shore. This collaborative atmosphere allowed users to operate more efficiently, since all units had access to integrated ISR-related activities, which in turn improved situational awareness and battle management planning. MIT 18.5 | 15