Posted by John Keller
PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md., 17 March 2010.Satellite communications radio designers at L-3 Communications Corp. in Salt Lake City will provide the U.S. Navy with 11 additional AN/SRQ-4(Ku) radio terminal sets for ship small surface combatants and 51 AN/AR-59 radio terminal sets for the MH-60R maritime helicopter.
L-3 won a $37.5 million contract option, announced Monday, for the satellite terminal job, which uses the MH-60 helicopter to establish satellite links between aircraft carriers and small surface combatants like destroyers and frigates.
L-3 will extend the range of existing Hawklink data links between MH-60R Light Airborne Multipurpose System (LAMPS) helicopters, small surface combatants, and aircraft carriers to help coordinate military operations at sea.
The LAMPS Hawklink is a high-speed, air-to-surface, digital data link that transmits reconnaissance and other data from MK III H-60 helicopters between their host surface ships, such as aircraft Arleigh Burke Class destroyers, and aircraft carriers leading carrier battle groups.
The Hawklink enables data, imagery, electronic support measures, communications, and radar information gathered by the helicopter's sensors to be multiplexed and transmitted to other vessels in the carrier battle group.
L-3 will do the work at its Communications Systems-West segment in Salt Lake City, and should be finished by March 2013. Awarding the contract were officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.
For more information contact L-3 Communications online at www.l-3com.com, or Naval Air Systems Command at www.navair.navy.mil.
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