Harris Corporation has been awarded a potential $37m contract modification by the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, to supply additional multiband shipboard satellite communications terminals for Navy's Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class of guided missile destroyers. The modification is part of a contract originally awarded to the company in 2000, and increases the overall potential value of the contract to more than $172m by 2010.
Under terms of the contract, Harris is responsible for systems integration, production, and logistics support for the AN/WSC-6(V)9 Super High Frequency Multiband Shipboard Satellite Communications Terminal (MSSCT). The Harris-built MSSCT greatly enhances the Navy's wideband satellite communications capability by integrating military X-band and commercial C-band dual-antenna terminals that provide higher throughput required to support satellite-based voice, video, and data communications to meet the challenging global missions of today's surface combatants. The system can also be easily upgraded to operate over the Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) System through the simple installation of a simultaneous X/Ka band feed kit.