Northrop Grumman Cobham team Successfully integrates VIS-X vehicle intercom system into US Army Stryker systems integration lab

Northrop Grumman Cobham Intercoms (NGCI) LLC, a company formed by Northrop Grumman Corporation and Cobham, has announced the successful integration of the Vehicle Intercom System -- Expanded (VIS-X) into the US Army's Stryker systems integration lab (SIL) environment at the US Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command in Warren, Mich.

Working with the Program Manager Stryker Brigade Combat Team, VIS-X hardware was seamlessly integrated into the Stryker SIL, replacing the AN/VIC-3 intercom system. The integration demonstrated the form, fit and function compatibility of VIS-X with AN/VIC-3 and the ability to add new communications features without increasing the system footprint or re-wiring the Stryker vehicle. VIS-X is NGCI's next-generation capability, replacing Northrop Grumman and Cobham's highly successful AN/VIC-3, of which more than 85,000 systems have been fielded.

"During our Stryker SIL integration, we demonstrated that VIS-X reduces the total electronic box count by 30 percent and increases the number of available users, radios and alarms," said John Jadik, vice president of Communications, Intelligence and Networking Solutions for Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division. "Existing VIC-3 highway cables, headsets and brackets were re-used, allowing for an easy upgrade to vehicles already utilizing the AN/VIC-3 and reducing the risk associated with new vehicle implementations."

With the integration of VIS-X into future upgrades of the Stryker and other wheeled and tracked vehicles, advanced features including 10/100/1Gbit Ethernet, VoIP, SIP calls, point-to-point calling, multiple intercom groups, remote radio control, radio re-transmission, and alphanumeric displays and menus become available to the systems integrator and the warfighter. VIS-X can be used in both new production and legacy vehicle platforms, allowing the warfighter to utilize the same state-of-the-art equipment regardless of vehicle type or age.

VIS-X is being supplied under a 10-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a not-to-exceed ceiling of $2.4 billion awarded to NGCI in 2009 by the US Army Communications and Electronics Command. The VIS-X program is managed by the Vehicular Intercom Systems project office, which is part of the Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (DCATS) project office of the Army's Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). Under the terms of the contract, the NGCI team is required to deliver up to 500 VIS-X systems per month during the first year following completion of First Article Testing and up to 2,000 systems per month in subsequent years.

Source: Northrop Grumman