Home >> News: March 31st, 2020 >> Story
Satnews Daily
March 31st, 2020

Hughes Awarded Follow-On Contract from NAVAIR to Enhance Airborne Comms for the USCG


Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) has been selected by the U.S. Naval Air Systems (NAVAIR) to provide SATCOM systems integration for the U.S. Coast Guard on its HC-27J aircraft.

Under the agreement, Hughes will integrate Beyond Line of Sight (BLoS) systems to strengthen the Coast Guard's missions requiring airborne Communications-on-the-Move (COTM), including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR).

Under this contract valued at $3.5 million, which follows completion of a 2018 award to Hughes for BLoS system integration, Hughes will integrate components from technology providers CPI Radant and Get SAT Ltd. for installation on HC-27J aircraft — including antennas, modems, and radomes — as well as providing engineering services and technical training for testing and operations.

Part of the Coast Guard's medium-range surveillance aircraft fleet, the HC-27J performs numerous maritime missions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean, such as search-and-rescue, drug/migrant interdiction and disaster response.

Rick Lober, VP and GM of the Defense and Intelligence Systems Division at Hughes, said this new opportunity reflects the trust the company has built among partners and NAVAIR in providing wideband BLoS SATCOM integration and engineering support for the U.S. Coast Guard's aircraft. Hughes looks forward to continuing to enhance the U.S. Coast Guard's airborne capabilities in support of their reconnaissance, humanitarian and disaster relief missions.