BUFFALO, N.Y., 5 April 2007. Engineers at the DRS Technologies EW & Network Systems unit in Buffalo, N.Y., won a $7 million contract from the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) Co. Ltd. in South Korea to provide Fiber Optic Data Multiplex System (FOAMS)-Navigation Sensor Distributors for the second KDX-III destroyer of the Republic of Korea's Navy (related story).
Under a previously awarded contract from the Special & Naval Shipbuilding Division of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., DRS outfitted the first destroyer of this new fleet with the same equipment.
The FOAMS is a general-purpose, dual-network system that provides data and integrated communications between propulsion and power control systems, steering, navigation sensors, weapons systems, alarms, indicators and integrated bridge systems, as well as Aegis combat systems.
It is a complete information transfer system designed to meet evolving ship communications requirements and to handle data that is critical to ship operations, enhancing reliability, maintainability and survivability.
DRS EW & Network Systems is part of DRS Technologies Inc. in Parsippany, N.J. Work for this contract, which will start immediately and continue through May 2010. DRS leaders say they expect to receive future contracts on this program as the Korean navy deploys additional KDX-III destroyers.
For this contract DRS will manufacture, install, and test the FOAMS to ensure interoperability between legacy systems and the latest Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)-based systems. The company also will provide operation maintenance training to DSME employees and Korean navy personnel.
For the U.S. Navy, the FOAMS is used as an advanced message transfer system, operated by interior communications technicians in the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile Aegis destroyers.
The FOAMS was selected by the Korean navy to distribute navigation sensor data to Aegis and non-Aegis weapons systems, communication systems, machine control and steering control systems, and navigation displays without the need to rewrite software or redesign hardware. It is based on the Military Survivable Adaptable Fiber Optic Embedded Network (SAFENET) standard, focused on enhancing survivability.
For more information contact DRS Technologies online at www.drs.com.
