Raytheon wins US Army radio contract
Raytheon is to build more airborne radios and continue to modernise future radios for the US Army under a $51 million award announced 23 October. The modernisation effort includes Phase 3 of the Mobile User Objective Service/Cryptographic Modernization (MUOS/CM) upgrade programme, which increases satellite capacity for warfighters.
MUOS replaces the aging constellation of Ultra High Frequency Follow-On communications satellites. The Phase 3 software upgrade will allow Raytheon to complete MUOS/CM design tasks and prepare for Phase 4 qualification testing in 2013. Full-rate production is planned for 2015, making this the first MUOS airborne radio available.
According to Raytheon, the MUOS/CM upgrade will be a new product, and will be called the RT-1987. It will be able to accept new waveforms ported from the Department of Defense's Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) information repository.
David Patton, ARC-231 senior program manager in Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business, said: ‘The ARC-231 radio system has proven to be a very capable, high performing, multi-function radio set that adapts to changing application requirements with only software upgrades. Because the equipment upgrades are backward compatible with existing equipment installations, minimal platform changes are required. This approach simplifies aircraft integration tasks and reduces upgrade costs.
Raytheon said it has sold more than 6,000 ARC-231 radios for use on rotary and fixed-wing, manned and unmanned aircraft, and for use on special ground mobile and seaborne applications. It provides the common Line of Sight communications and Demand Assignment Multiple Access Integrated Waveform (DAMA IW) used for satellite communications.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Babcock nears first customer for Nomad AI translation tool]()
Babcock nears first customer for Nomad AI translation tool
Nomad can provide militaries with real-time intelligence, saving critical time on the battlefield.
-
![AUSA 2025: Israel’s Asio Technologies to supply hundreds of improved Taurus tactical systems]()
AUSA 2025: Israel’s Asio Technologies to supply hundreds of improved Taurus tactical systems
Taurus operates alongside the Israel Defense Forces’ Orion system which supports mission management across tens of thousands of manoeuvring forces, from squad leaders to battalion commanders.
-
![AUSA 2025: Kopin pushes micro-LED plans as China moves faster]()
AUSA 2025: Kopin pushes micro-LED plans as China moves faster
The plan for the new displays follows fresh investment in Kopin’s European facilities by Theon and an order for head-up displays in fielded aircraft, with funding from the US Department of Defense.
-
![AUSA 2025: Persistent Systems to complete its largest order by year’s end]()
AUSA 2025: Persistent Systems to complete its largest order by year’s end
Persistent Systems received its largest ever single order for its MPU5 devices and other systems earlier this month and has already delivered the 50 units to the US Army’s 4th Infantry Division.
-
![Aselsan brings in dozens of companies and systems under the Steel Dome umbrella]()
Aselsan brings in dozens of companies and systems under the Steel Dome umbrella
Turkey has joined the family of countries attempting to establish a multilayered air defence system with government approval in August 2024 for the effort landed by Aselsan. Dubbed Steel Dome, the programme joins Israel’s Iron Dome, the US Golden Dome, India’s Mission Sudarshan Chakra and South Korea’s low-altitude missile defence system.
-
![DSEI 2025: MARSS unveils new agnostic multidomain C4 system]()
DSEI 2025: MARSS unveils new agnostic multidomain C4 system
MARSS’ NiDAR system has been deployed using sensors from static platforms to provide detection and protection for static sights, such as critical infrastructure, ports and military bases.
