Improved Mobility, Frequency Capacity and Signal Quality for Airborne Operations
Rockwell Collins announced on 20 September it has won the first US Department of Defense (DoD) long-term contract to supply Mobile User Objective System (MUOS)-capable airborne radios and ancillaries for DoD platforms including fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, ships and ground installations.
The five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ)contract for sixth-generation ARC-210 RT-2036(C) radios begins with a base award of $82.6 million in 2018, with four option years to follow. The contract also includes fifth-generation ARC-210 radios and ancillaries, as well as associated data and services.
The ARC-210 RT-2036(C) can use the MUOS network to provide military forces with worldwide, crystal-clear voice, video and mission data over a secure high-speed Internet Protocol-based system. The radio is also part of Rockwell Collins’ TruNet family of products that ensures secure connectivity between ground and airborne units. As the sixth-generation solution, the ARC-210 RT-2036(C) features a software-defined radio (SDR) architecture, enabling multiple legacy and advanced waveforms, high-speed mobile ad hoc networking and beyond-line-of-sight connectivity capabilities. It will join the more than 45,000 highly-reliable ARC-210 radios currently fielded across the globe on more than 180 platforms.
“This is the next big step in arming warfighters with next-generation communications capabilities, including those available through MUOS, which brings greater overall capacity and signal quality for high reliability when it’s needed most,” explained the company’s Vice President and General Manager, Communication, Navigation and Electronic Warfare Solutions, Troy Brunk.
