BAE Systems wins $460M contract to produce radios for Army
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BAE Systems has received a five-year U.S. Army contract of up to $460 million for its MARS airborne communications systems for helicopters.
The contract for the AN/ARC-231/A Multi-mode Aviation Radio Set consists of hardware components, repair services, engineering and logistic support, and development for rotary-wing aircraft, the company said in a news release.
The radios will be produced at BAE Systems’ operations in Fort Wayne, with engineering support in Largo, Florida.
The architecture and design of the radios allow for software-only upgrades, which reduces the time to field evolving communication needs, the company said in announcing the contract.
“We provide communication solutions with scalable software deployment in support of tactical missions where speed and relevance of information matter most,” Amber Dolan, director of adaptive communications and sensing, said in the news release. “This airborne radio design enables the U.S. Army to upgrade their rotary-wing fleet with the latest secure waveform that can be tailored for each mission for years to come.”
The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Virginia, describes the system as the newest generation of airborne communications, capable of offering multi-band, secure anti-jam voice, data imagery transmission and network-capable communications. The system includes the RT-1987 radio, amplifiers, mounting bases and related equipment.
BAE Systems employs more than 1,000 people at its two Fort Wayne facilities.
In July, the company announced it had secured a $111 million contract to provide its ARC-232A radios to the Republic of Korea, Inside INdiana Business reported.
Those radios also are being produced at the company’s 334,000-square-foot production facility near the Fort Wayne International Airport.
