U.S. Army officials recognized the need for secure, easily deployed satellite communication access to broadband satellite services. They turned to TeleCommunication Systems Inc. (TCS), a provider of mission-critical wireless communications in Annapolis, Md.

TCS won an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a potential value of more than $246 million to deliver satellite solutions based on the company’s SwiftLink deployable communications product family.

The order is part a $5 billion World-Wide Satellite Systems (WWSS) contract vehicle issued by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM LCMC) to support federal communication missions, including those related to disaster relief and homeland security.

The Secure Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) and Non-secure Internet Protocol Router (NIPR) Access Point (SNAP) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Satellite Systems Program is a follow-on to the Military Transition Team VSAT program awarded to TCS last year. The SNAP VSAT program is managed by the Army Project Manager for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Commercial Satellite Terminal program through the WWSS.

“The U.S. Army is acquiring TCS SwiftLink VSAT systems and support services Armywide via this delivery order,” explains Michael Bristol, senior vice president of government solutions for TCS. The systems are slated for military switch teams engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom under Multi-National Coalition-Iraq, as well as for other U.S. Army and Department of Defense users requiring secure voice and data communications in a small form factor.

The TCS SwiftLink VSAT systems deliver multimedia communications via encrypted voice, video, and imagery data. The systems are designed to be transportable, modular, and ruggedized, and feature an easy-to-use graphical user interface and plug-and-play interfaces.

For more information, visit TeleCommunication Systems Inc. online at www.telecomsys.com.