Fort Wayne Operation Lands Defense Contract

From U.S. Department of Defense

Raytheon Co., Network Centric Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind., was awarded in Jun. 26, 2009 a $ 21,746,737 cost-plus-fixed-fee and fixed-price contract for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the generation Network Centric Radio System (NCRS), with additional capabilities and an assured affordable price to the user. DARPA envisions two critical technologies for achieving these new goals: 1) a backbone radio architecture that enables a versatile IP networks and a radio gateway that enable legacy analog and digital communications systems to be internetworked. As with NCRS, the MAINGATE enables heterogeneous groups of radios to be integrated into a heterogeneous network tolerant to high latency and packet loss. The technology development for the program will permit affordable, tactical, real-time, high fidelity video, data, and voice services to be deployed in a network environment to support tactical operations in either maneuver or dismounted operations. A MAINGATE node consists of the gateway hoc network (MANET) IP radio, WAN port, LAN port, and operator console for a recurring production unit cost target (sell price to government) of $ 60, 000 (constant FY09$) per unit for a volume purchase of 1,000 units after the successful satisfaction of the base program objectives. Work is to be performed in Fullerton, Calif., (19.54 percent), Fort Wayne, Ind., (25.88 percent), Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., (7.19 percent), Vienna, Va., (3.20 percent), Cambridge, Md.,(7.02 percent), Columbia, Md., (22.45 percent), and Melbourne, Fla., (14.72 percent), with an estimated completion date of September 2012. Bids solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-09-C-0083).

Source: U.S. Department of Defense