Data Link Solutions Increasing MIDS JTRS Production Capabilities for US and Coalition Forces

March 01, 2016

-

Data Link Solutions (DLS), a joint venture between BAE Systems and Rockwell Collins, has been awarded a $51.8 million contract from the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command to provide the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) to U.S. and coalition forces. This award includes radios for U.S. platforms and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.

“This award reflects our strong past performance meeting terminal deliveries and our commitment to providing the best value to our U.S. and allied forces,” said Jack Stevens, director at DLS. “This contract underscores DLS’s leadership in Link 16 airborne networking and provides the latest in certified, reprogrammable, software-defined radio architecture for tactical data links.”

This MIDS JTRS Lot 4 award represents a significant majority of the Lot 4 competition and marks a substantial increase in terminal orders and deliveries, as the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force begin transitioning multiple platforms to MIDS JTRS. MIDS JTRS enhances battlefield communications for joint and coalition warfighters by providing the ability to communicate by voice, video, and data with a line-of-sight, jam-resistant capability across ground, air, and naval assets.

“With this award, DLS will have a major ramp up in MIDS JTRS production,” said Doug Schmidt, director at DLS. “This production boost allows increased manufacturing cost savings that are then passed on to our customers, making new advanced data link technologies more affordable.“

Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Wayne, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed August 2017.

Source : Rockwell Collins