Repair, Maintenance and Upgrade Facility to be Located in Halifax

Viasat announced on 18 October that, in conjunction with MDA, the company plans to establish a repair, maintenance and overhaul for its Link 16 military communications terminals in Halifax, NS.

The facility will be strategically located near the largest East Coast bases of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), which will allow Viasat and MDA to provide enhanced technical support for Viasat’s Small Tactical Terminals (STT) and other small, next-generation Link 16 devices. This support will include everything from software upgrades and crypto modernisation initiatives, to retrofitting Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) Block Upgrade 2 devices for critical RCN and RCAF platforms; including HALIFAX-class frigates and AURORA aircraft, among others.

“This new Halifax facility represents Viasat’s growing strategic footprint across Canada and our continued commitment to supporting the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) evolving mission needs,” commented Viasat’s President, Government Systems, Ken Peterman. “MDA has been an important partner, enabling us to rapidly deliver the latest advancements in Link 16 technology to a variety of CAF customers across Canada.”

“As one of the largest Canadian-based aerospace and defence companies, we have a long-term commitment to developing comprehensive Canadian capabilities that will enhance a variety of mission sets and benefit local economies. The MDA and Viasat Halifax facility will not only improve Link 16 advancements for CAF customers, it will also bring substantial economic benefits and job opportunities to the region,” added MDA Group President, Mike Greenley.

Viasat’s Link 16 tactical data links feature a broad portfolio of terminal configurations and form factors, with thousands of systems fielded to allied nations worldwide. Viasat’s tactical Link 16 radio communications systems provide US and international forces with greater situational awareness, by exchanging digital data over a common communication link that is continuously and automatically updated in real-time, reducing the chance of fratricide or duplicate assignments, while significantly enhancing mission effectiveness.