Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) has received a $50.5 million delivery order for advanced satellite communications terminals under the U.S. Army's Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program. The next-generation military satellite communications terminals will provide the worldwide backbone for high-priority military communications and missile defense systems.
Harris is the prime contractor for the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity MET contract, which has a potential value of $600 million. This includes a five-year base period and a five-year option period for production, as well as installation, depot and engineering services to support fielding of the terminals. This brings to $264 million the total MET orders Harris has been awarded since 2009.
Wideband Global SATCOM
Under this latest order, Harris will supply additional terminals, including large fixed X-/Ka-band terminals, and transportable X-/Ka-band terminals. The order also includes common electronics equipment, spares to support the fielding of the terminals and operator training.
“The MET program has successfully completed all required testing for SATCOM Certification of this new generation of strategic, multiband terminals, which provide critical reach-back capability for soldiers in the field,” said Bill Gattle, vice president, Aerospace Systems, Harris Government Communications Systems. "The MET terminal provides the warfighter with high performance, cost effective solutions for their MILSATCOM needs.”
Under the MET program, managed by the Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (PM DCATS), Harris will replace up to 80 AN/GSC-52, AN/GSC-39, AN/FSC-78 and other aging strategic satellite communications terminals with new X-band or simultaneous X-/Ka-band terminals. Harris also is supporting field activities such as site preparation, installation and testing.
Installations are already complete at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia and Ft. Detrick, Maryland, with rapid progression toward transition to their operations commands. The terminals will interface with the new Wideband Global Satellite constellation, as well as with legacy satellite systems.