[SatNews] "This...will give the Navy more mission flexibility and significantly increased capacity to provide protected voice, data and video communications supporting strategic and tactical missions..."

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has received a $19 million contract to modify the Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) to link it with the Air Force's Enhanced Polar Satellite (EPS). The link will allow U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters to overcome communications gaps in the remote polar region.

EPS will provide continuous coverage for secure, jam-resistant, strategic and tactical communications to support peacetime, contingency, homeland defense, humanitarian assistance and wartime missions. "This increased capability will give the Navy more mission flexibility and significantly increased capacity to provide protected voice, data and video communications supporting strategic and tactical missions," said Scott Whatmough, vice president of Integrated Communication Systems for Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business. Raytheon has started the software and systems engineering modifications to the existing NMT ship, submarine and shore terminals to enable seamless operation with EPS, which is replacing the existing Interim Polar System.

EPS, using advanced XDR waveforms, will provide much higher data rates and extended high-gain coverage. It will be interoperable with next-generation Advanced Extremely High Frequency-compatible sea-based, ground and airborne user terminals.