FAIRFAX, Va., 21 May 2009. Argon ST Inc.--a provider of C5ISR (command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems and services to defense and intelligence customers--won a contract for Phase 2A of the Robust Surface Navigation (RSN) program with Options for Phase 2B and 2C from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office.

The initial Phase 2A base contract, valued at roughly $6.5 million, was awarded after the completion of Phase 1 of the RSN program, for which Argon was to develop new and innovative algorithms for mitigating multi-path signal errors and signal blockage that occurs in urban canyons and indoor environments.

Advancements made by the Argon team will ultimately enable U.S. military operations to have GPS-level navigation functions in GPS-denied areas using radio frequency signals of opportunity, says a representative.

"In today's technology-laden combat arenas the importance of developing alternate technologies to GPS for precision positioning and navigation has never been more critical," says Kerry Rowe, president and COO of Argon ST. "We are committed to helping solve the fundamental problem of navigation and geolocation in GPS-denied or -degraded areas, especially in the difficult environments inside buildings and in urban canyons. Technologies being developed by the Argon team for DARPA will help our forces maintain that advantage."

Argon ST has selected Honeywell Laboratories, Minneapolis, Minn.; Ticom Geomatics, Austin, Texas; and The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, Mass., to provide supporting software and engineering services in connection with the project.