MELBOURNE, Fla., 24 April 2009. Harris Corp., an international communications and information technology company, won a 10-year, $600 million contract for the U.S. Army's Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program. The next-generation military satellite communications terminals developed for the MET program will serve as the worldwide backbone for high-priority military communications and missile defense systems.

As prime contractor, Harris will develop, test, and certify four unique terminal configurations during a 30-month, First Article Test phase, says a representative. In addition, Harris will provide production hardware under the five-year base contract with five additional option years, as well as support field activities such as site preparation, installation, test, operations, and maintenance.

The program will be managed by Team DCATS - Project Manager, Defense Communications, and Army Transmission Systems.

Harris will replace up to 80 AN/GSC-52, AN/GSC-39, AN/FSC-78, and other aging strategic satellite communications terminals with new, simultaneous X- and Ka-band terminals capable of interfacing with the new Wideband Global Satellite constellation and legacy satellite systems. The new terminals will support Internet Protocol and Dedicated Circuit Connectivity within the Global Information Grid (GIG), providing reach-back capability for the warfighter.

The MET program team includes Harris; General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, maker of X- and Ka-band satellite communications products; O'Neil & Associates, a supplier of logistics and interactive, electronic technical manuals; and Janus Research Group, provider of training simulation.

The hardware will include fixed ground terminal configurations, a hardened, transportable terminal, and a small terminal suitable for rooftop mounting.

General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies will develop the X-band antenna feed and a dual/simultaneous X- and Ka-band antenna feed. The company's engineers will also develop 12.2-meter antennas for fixed ground terminals, 7.2-meter antennas for transportable terminals, and 4.8-meter antennas for small terminals.

The first terminal is scheduled for fielding in early 2011.