Lockheed Martin [LMT] April 18 said the National Security Agency (NSA) has conditionally recognized completion of critical design for the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS).

AMF JTRS is an encrypted, Internet Protocol, software-reprogrammable, multi-band/multi-mode capable, mobile ad-hoc network that will enable Army, Air Force and Navy warfighters to share real-time voice, video and data communications. AMF JTRS will be the first JTRS program that will link air, ground and sea echelons.

“Since the program’s award, the AMF JTRS team has designed the system with NSA certification in mind,” said Mark Norris, vice president for Joint Tactical Network Solutions with Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense. “We will continue to work closely with the NSA to ensure that AMF JTRS satisfies all their security requirements.”

AMF JTRS includes a two-channel Small Airborne Joint Tactical Radio, a four-channel (scalable to eight channels) Maritime/Fixed Joint Tactical Radio, and common ancillaries that will support platform integration. These full duplex, software-defined radios will be integrated into airborne, shipboard, and fixed-station platforms, enabling maritime and airborne forces to communicate seamlessly and with greater efficiency.

Being software-defined, AMF is also capable of legacy waveform communications, reducing the cost to maintain and supply legacy devices during information capability migration. Over the program’s lifetime, a minimum of 28 waveforms will be incorporated into AMF JTRS.