Members of the U.S. Army’s Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Acquisition Center - Washington in Alexandria, Va., looked to DRS Technologies Inc. in Parsippany, N.J., when they required improved environmental-control units (IECUs).

The Army issued a $44 million contract, including options, to DRS for the design and production of 60,000 BTU/hour (60K) IECUs.

The DRS 60K IECU is a field environmental-control unit designed to perform under adverse weather conditions in environments, as well as to provide temperature control ranging from -50 degrees to +125 degrees Fahrenheit. The DRS 60K IECUs feature embedded diagnostics, a refrigerant, low acoustic noise emissions, and in-rush current control.

The MIL-A-52767, compact, and lightweight military environmental-control units are built to meet military performance requirements in conditions that include electromagnetic interference, vibration, shock, noise, rain, salt, fog, sand, and dust. The system, primarily used for heating and cooling shelters, will be compatible with operations involving biological and chemical warfare.

Work will be performed by the company’s DRS Sustainment Systems unit in Florence, Ky. DRS will design, development, and test prototype IECUs, followed by low-rate initial production (LRIP) and full-rate production. The company received $1.4 million in initial funding for the system design and development phase. For more information, visit www.drs.com.