PARSIPPANY, N.J., 3 May 2005. DRS Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded approximately $50 million in new orders to provide production, spares and engineering services for the U.S. Navy's AN/UYQ-70 Advanced Display Systems and related computer peripheral equipment.
The systems will be installed on the Navy's new Aegis destroyers, cruisers and other surface ships, as well as E-2C Hawkeye aircraft and USS Los Angeles class SSN 688 Attack submarines.
The contracts were awarded to DRS by Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors Tactical Systems in Eagan, Minn., the company's industry teammate and the prime contractor on the AN/UYQ-70 program.
The manufacture of these next-generation, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based systems will be performed by the company's DRS Laurel Technologies unit in Johnstown, Penn. Engineering services will be provided by the company's DRS Electronic Systems unit in Gaithersburg, Md., and will include upgrading key technologies for existing AN/UYQ-70 Advanced Display Systems and related peripherals.
"The continuity of orders on this program highlights our key role as a leading supplier of Naval combat display systems and advanced ship technologies," said Steven T. Schorer, president of DRS's C4I Group. "DRS simultaneously provides the Navy with the most current processing and display technologies, while reducing costs associated with the upgrading, integration and maintenance of combat systems across several platform types. As an integral part of the Navy's plans for implementing open-system architecture for the network-centric tactical warfare environment, our systems support rapid data exchange between cooperative forces and are the cornerstones in the Navy's fleet modernization initiatives."
The AN/UYQ-70 workstations are being installed throughout the Navy's surface, subsurface and air fleet, including its LHA class amphibious assault platforms, Nimitz class aircraft carriers and Virginia class NSSN New Attack Submarines, as well as Aegis class surface ships and E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. These new orders include Advanced Production Units for the USS Los Angeles class SSN 688 submarine backfit program, which incorporate the latest information processing and display technology.
For the AN/UYQ-70 program, DRS is manufacturing a family of display consoles that integrate the latest commercial computing technology and systems for combat, command and control, and mission-essential applications.
One of the first standard combat computer systems implemented with an openly designed architecture, the UYQ-70 supports the common operating environment being implemented in surface, subsurface, land and airborne military platforms. Its design provides the most flexible display and computing infrastructure available to allow the Navy and other Department of Defense customers to accommodate new combat system development or the upgrade of existing systems. The UYQ-70 workstations provide benefits throughout their life cycle, including low cost of ownership, improved maintainability, faster technology insertion, smooth integration with legacy systems and adaptability to new environments.
DRS Technologies and Lockheed Martin have been supporting the AN/UYQ-70 program since it was competitively awarded in 1994 and successfully recompeted in 1998 and 2004. They will continue on this program for the next five years under a sole-source follow-on contract.
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., provides leading edge products and services to defense, government intelligence and commercial customers. Focused on defense technology, DRS develops and manufactures a broad range of mission critical systems. The company employs 5,700 people worldwide. For more information, see www.drs.com.
