BAE Systems' JV Gets US Navy IDIQ Contract Worth Up To $1 Bln

(RTTNews) - The U.S. Navy has awarded Data Link Solutions (DLS), a joint venture between BAE Systems (BA.L) and Collins Aerospace, an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) award with a ceiling value up to $1 billion for the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS).

The contract includes continued production, retrofits, development, and sustainment of MIDS JTRS terminals for future growth. MIDS JTRS provides situational awareness and enables Link 16 connectivity with jam-resistant, line-of-sight voice, video, and data communications for sea, ground, and air assets.

The U.S. and its allies operate in network-centric, information-intensive environments where communications, navigation, and identification are mission-essential capabilities. Warfighters must make well-informed, interoperable decisions swiftly, requiring large volumes of data to be exchanged in real-time. MIDS JTRS enables the interoperability across forces using Link 16.

"MIDS JTRS brings different generations of platforms onto a common communications network. It provides more stable and secure gateways in the most contested scenarios," said Amber Dolan, director of Data Link Solutions. "This award enables Data Link Solutions to modernize thousands of MIDS JTRS terminals and provide new capabilities that support a variety of missions for the U.S. Navy and coalition forces."