REDONDO BEACH, Calif.,
July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), Lockheed Martin (NYSE:
LMT) and TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) team
has completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the information
assurance elements of the Low Cost Terminal (LCT). Completion of
the CDR clears the way for the team to build hardware and software
for the information assurance element or end cryptographic
unit.
LCT is an initiative to develop an affordable terminal for
protected extremely high frequency (EHF) communications by
leveraging existing commercial technologies and designs to minimize
costs. The terminal is designed to provide protected communications
via the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite system
to highly mobile, tactical military forces at a cost significantly
lower than currently fielded protected communication terminals.
"This milestone brings the LCT a major step closer to completion
so assured connectivity can be affordably extended to tactical
users," said Tim Frei, vice
president, communication systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace
Systems. "Developing this capability is critical because AEHF is
the only available alternative that satisfies the compelling
warfighting need for assured tactical communications in contested
and anti-access/area denial environments."
The team is planning to test the terminal with an AEHF satellite
by the end of 2015 and anticipates full certification in 2016.
"We recognize that the DOD has a significant unmet need for the
type of protected communications that only the Milstar and AEHF
satellites can provide," said Mike
Bristol, TCS Government Solutions Group President. "The air,
land and mobile variants of the LCT satisfy that need with a very
cost-efficient solution."
An early prototype LCT designed for protected Comm-on-the-Move
applications has been fully integrated and tested with the AEHF
Payload Engineering Model, proving its interoperability with the
AEHF anti-jam satellite systems.
"The call for innovation and productivity from the Defense
Department's Better Buying Power initiative is driving the LCT
development team," said Mark
Calassa, vice president, Protected Communications Systems
and AEHF program manager, Lockheed Martin. "Our goal is to deliver
unprecedented, mobile access to tactical forces needing a truly
protected communications network."
The LCT solution takes advantage of Northrop Grumman's and
Lockheed Martin's knowledge and engineering experience in protected
military satellite communications, builds on TCS's experience and
products in deployable satellite communication systems for the
military and leverages the strength of a commercial subcontractor
team. The contractor team jointly funds the development and
contractor portion of LCT certification. To date, LCT has been an
industry-funded development.
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 112,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for
2014 were $45.6 billion.
TeleCommunication Systems, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, is a world leader in
secure and highly reliable wireless communications.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
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SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation