...demonstrate ways to make future protected military satellite communications capabilities more affordable with three awards received September 28th under the Protected Military Satellite Communication Design for Affordability Risk Reduction initiative. Under the 10-month, firm fixed-price contracts, the company will:

• Develop an unclassified, government-owned waveform specification and demonstrate its feasibility through component-level demonstrations.
• Design and demonstrate a space/ground modem at the component level through analyses, software simulations, waveform implementation and a hardware demonstration.
• Demonstrate gateway affordability by using commercial-off-the-shelf components combined with software emulation. The demonstration also will show the ability to interface with a mission management system, integration into an information assurance architecture, as well as other key gateway functions and capabilities.

"Only today's protected satellite communications ensure connectivity that's highly resistant to interference and detection in a growing threat environment that includes many different types of physical, electronic and cyber threats," said Stuart Linsky, vice president, communication systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "By leveraging the government's investment in these protected communication technologies, tomorrow's tactical, protected satellite communications will be able to provide these capabilities at no more cost than unprotected military satellite communications. This will revolutionize our national networks, connecting platforms to warfighters and decision makers during diplomacy through enforcement."

Chris Yamada

In this role, Yamada will be responsible for the newly established organization, offering technology products from Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector to broader markets and customers. He will retain leadership of several of the company's wholly owned strategic business units, including Adaptive Optics Xinetics, Astro Aerospace, Cutting Edge Optronics, Microelectronic Products and Services, and SYNOPTICS. Yamada joined the company in 1983 and held positions as general manager of affiliates, director of directed energy systems strategic business planning and president of TRW Astro Aerospace. Throughout his 29-year career, Yamada has played a key role in successfully delivering thousands of systems and subsystems to commercial and government customers worldwide, serving diverse mission and critical business needs.