Iridium Satellite LLC (Iridium) announces the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center has awarded an Iridium subsidiary a $21,688,808 indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity cost-type contract to support development and delivery of the Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS).

DTCS is an extension of “Netted Iridium,” the company’s push-to-talk communications capability. DTCS will provide over-the-horizon, on-the-move, beyond line-of-sight netted voice and data communications over the Iridium network for the tactical warfighter. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been testing Phase One Netted technologies since 2006. The Navy awarded Iridium the five-year contract on June 4, 2009, marking “Phase Two” of Netted technologies development. The DTCS team also includes ITT Corporation and The Boeing Company. ITT Corporation is leading the effort to design, develop and produce the DTCS tactical radio, along with design, development and installation of the DTCS ground-based management system. The Boeing Company is updating software for the Iridium satellite fleet, as well as performing systems integration and testing.

The DoD also selected DTCS as the number two candidate for a 2009 Joint Concept Technology Demonstration, further indicating its strong interest in the service. DTCS development has proceeded in two phases. Iridium and the DoD developed Phase One under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between industry and the Navy. Funded by industry, it provided a capability used for concept-based experimentation by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. It proved that Iridium could enhance its satellite network to support a multicast architecture for tactical, netted voice and data communications. In Phase Two, Iridium will enhance its satellite network further with on-orbit software upgrades in addition to making ground infrastructure enhancements. These changes will expand the footprint of the DTCS communication “nets” and significantly increase the number of nets available to the DoD. In addition, the DTCS program will include development of a ruggedized Iridium tactical radio to further meet the needs of warfighters in the environments they face. Early prototypes and initial production devices have garnered positive feedback from warfighters in theater today.