Data Bytes

The Department of Defense now has a choice of vendors to provide data and wireless services under the Networx Universal federal telecommunications program. The Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization have announced awards to MCI Communications Services (dba Verizon Business) and AT&T. AT&T is the prime vendor for frame relay services, and due to the uniqueness of DoD customers, an alternate vendor, Verizon Business, was selected for cases where diversity is required. Verizon Business was also selected for ATM service, Internet Protocol service, wireless and point-to-point (private line). Due to the uniqueness of DoD customers, a prime and alternate vendor was also chosen for network-based IP VPN service and voice over IP service. Verizon Business was selected as the prime vendor, and AT&T was selected as the alternate vendor for cases where diversity is required. Networx Universal gives these vendors the opportunity to provide a full range of data services to DoD. They will perform work throughout the United States and abroad depending on specific requirements. The estimated worth to procure services under Networx Universal for all of DoD is approximately $94 million per year based upon FTS 2001 spending in FY07.

SNAP Satellite Terminals Provide Multimedia Communications

TeleCommunication Systems (TCS), a provider of mission-critical wireless communications, has received an additional $9.7 million of funding from the Army to provide additional SIPR and NIPR Access Point (SNAP) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Satellite Systems. This is part of the Army Communications- Electronics Life Cycle Management Command order that was announced in August, with a potential value of $246 million, and brings SNAP funding to date to $36 million. It is the third increment of SNAP funding for TCS’ highly reliable SwiftLink deployable communications products. The project manager for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical commercial satellite terminal program is funding these procurements through the World-Wide Satellite Systems contract vehicle. The SNAP program includes options for approximately 1,500 terminals and supporting equipment to be deployed in various sizes and configurations over the next few years, along with up to 30 field support personnel. The TCS SwiftLink VSAT systems used to fulfill SNAP program requirements provide multimedia communications capabilities that convey encrypted voice, video and imagery data.

Networked Technology System Bridges Dissimilar Radio Systems

BAE Systems has demonstrated networked communications technology that bridges dissimilar radio systems to give pilots and soldiers greater access to intelligence data, imagery and video. The AXCESS (Assured Exchange of Communications and Enterprise Services System) is designed to enable pilots and soldiers to communicate with Internet Protocol-based radios that span multiple bandwidths and frequencies. The company demonstrated the system during the Air Force’s Electronic Systems Group’s (ELSG) Capstone II test event in Patuxent River, Md. The Air Force and other air, sea and ground military forces use various radio systems that operate on different wavelengths and formats, resulting in limited or no connectivity among units using incompatible systems. AXCESS connects and manages the communications across these dissimilar systems to provide a seamless and secure network for all forces. Capstone II, conducted by the ELSG’s Airborne Network Enterprise Division and MIT’s Lincoln Labs, examined use of wideband airborne networking and the military’s Common Data Link program to improve communications. It measured the performance of the Air Force’s airborne network, a series of communications systems designed to maintain connectivity between pilots and the ground as aircraft pass through different networks.

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Test Marks Military SATCOM Advance

In a major milestone for U.S. military satellite communications, Raytheon has successfully demonstrated simultaneous communications using low, medium and extended data rate wave forms. This capability will be critical to the successful deployment of the next generation of military communication satellites scheduled to launch in 2009. This first-of-its-kind achievement will enable mission planners to more efficiently use critical communications bandwidth. It will also provide warfighters with greater connectivity, thereby improving overall situational awareness and mission success. As a result, soldiers and sailors will be able to execute far more complex and critical military applications. Raytheon is building the Navy Multiband Terminal under a $1.1 billion contract for the Navy that will lead to worldwide deployment of the new terminal on more than 300 ships, submarines and shore stations. This technical milestone, which was achieved using advanced extremely high frequency satellite simulators, promises increased communications efficiency in a highly protected environment. The Raytheon team was also able to set up and join independent low, medium and extended data rate communication channels and pass error-free data on each channel for extended periods of time.

william_schroeder@ raytheon.com

Army Orders SIGINT Platforms

L-3 Communications has been awarded a $28 million option placement to provide its Prophet signals intelligence platforms for the Army. Since this contract was awarded in 2001, the total value of orders received exceeds $220 million. Prophet is a humvee-based communications system that provides real-time information to U.S. Army brigades. Under this award, L-3 Linkabit will provide the Army with 49 Prophet Sensors and Controls that will supply mission-critical capabilities. L-3 Linkabit provides system design, development, manufacture, integration and life-cycle support of classified and unclassified military and commercial air, sea, fixed and mobile ground information systems.

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JTRS Evaluation Lab Selects Suite of Testing Tools

The Joint Tactical Radio System ( JTRS) Testing and Evaluation Lab ( JTEL), the regulatory and certification authority for both Software Communications Architecture (SCA) and JTRS compliance, has selected PrismTech’s Spectra 2 tools suite to assist with the testing and certification of waveform and platform application code. Spectra 2 is PrismTech’s end-to-end development suite for the modeling, code generation, testing and deployment of SCA-compliant software defined radio (SDR) applications. Spectra 2 tools were selected by JTEL to help automate its validation and certification of SCA-compliance for waveform and platform application code under consideration for the JTRS program. All radios considered for the JTRS program must be tested and certified by the JTEL. The Spectra 2 suite includes waveform and platform developer tools, high-performance yet low-profile operating environments, and full support for the SCA. The Spectra 2 development suite allows SDR developers to implement their own SCA waveforms—either new or from reformatted legacy code—on SCA radios by providing a fully integrated end-to-end model-driven development environment with an intuitive Eclipse-based GUI interface.

Multiservice Networking Platforms Ordered for WIN-T Program

Network Equipment Technologies (NET) has been awarded an additional order by General Dynamics C4 Systems for the Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program, to include NET’s NX1000. The WIN-T system will use NET’s NX1000 multiservice networking platform to interface to the Standardized Tactical Entry Point (STEP) of the Defense Information Systems Network. The interoperability, scalability, small size and high bandwidth capacity make the NX1000 ideal for optimizing weight and power usage for tactical environments. It provides reliable, secure and guaranteed-QOS networking to DISN STEP services and other deployed units from all U.S. military branches, NATO and coalition partners. With both high-speed serial and IP trunking interfaces, the NX1000 provides the Army with battle-proven communications technology that enables voice, video and data transport over TDM and/or IP backbones. Also integrated in the system is NET’s IP-TRK, which provides standards-based TDM-over-IP at rates of up to 40 Mbps.

High Gain, High Sensitivity System Enhances Ship Defense

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has awarded Lockheed Martin MS2 a contract valued at up to $36 million including options for development and procurement of the high gain, high sensitivity (HGHS) subsystem. General Dynamics is the Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) system integrator for the SEWIP Block 1 program. The HGHS subsystem will enhance detection capabilities to assist in defending ships from emerging threats. General Dynamics will integrate the HGHS subsystem into the SEWIP Block 1B3 upgrade currently in development. This effort is part of the larger SEWIP Block 1 upgrade program to the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare suite. The Block 1 upgrade provides a vast improvement to the surface Navy’s anti-ship missile defense. After a competitive bidding process, Lockheed Martin was selected for the development and procurement of the HGHS subsystem, including the topside antenna systems, the below decks signal processor, as well as the processing algorithms that accompany the processor.

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