Viasat awarded US Air Force IDIQ contract
Viasat has received an IDIQ contract worth up to $90 million from the US Air Force (USAF) for Battlefield Awareness Targeting System—Dismounted (BATS-D) handheld Link 16 radios, the company announced on 21 January.
The radio, known in US service as the AN/PRC-161 radio, will equip USAF special warfare operators.
The award also covers associated operator training and maintenance.
BATS-D is a handheld Link 16 radio that bridges the gap between air and ground forces by providing soldiers at the tactical edge with real-time, secure, reliable access to integrated air and ground information for improved situational awareness and enhanced close air support communications.
Ken Peterman, president, government systems, Viasat, said: ‘This IDIQ award demonstrates the value of the AN/PRC-161 handheld Link 16 radio for the unique mission requirements of today’s USAF operators.
‘Today, nearly 2,500 AN/PRC-161 BATS-D radios have been shipped to US warfighters worldwide, and we continue to see strong demand for its use across multiple military branches, and among coalition partners as it has the proven ability to significantly enhance situational awareness, improve mission coordination and accelerate decision timelines in a multi-domain battlespace.’
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