Posted by Courtney E. Howard

TEWKSBURY, Mass., 12 Aug. 2011. Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) won a $32.2 million U.S. Navy contract under the Global Positioning System- (GPS-)based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Service (GPNTS) program to deliver an open-architecture, data-hosting environment for Navy surface and subsurface platforms. GPNTS, replacing the current Navigation Sensor System Interface, supports mission-critical, real-time positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data services, including weapons, combat systems, and other command, control, communications, and intelligence systems that require PNT information. Raytheon’s solution will enable the hosting of data in a common computing environment and true "system of systems" architecture to enhance the ship's operability with onboard systems.

Raytheon IDS engineers will design, develop, test, and deliver GPNTS; partner with Argon ST, a provider of systems and sensors for the command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) markets; and leverage the capabilities of small business partners.

Work on the contract will be performed at the Raytheon IDS Expeditionary Warfare Center in San Diego, Calif., and Argon ST's facility in Fairfax, Va.

"By leveraging our extensive ship systems and integration experience, we were able to offer an affordable, low-risk solution to our Navy customer," says Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' (IDS) Kevin Peppe, vice president of Seapower Capability Systems.

Raytheon also produced the open-architecture Next Generation Navigation System (NAVDDX) as part of the DDG 1000-class destroyer program, for which it is the prime contractor for mission systems equipment.