The Lockheed Martin [LMT] Airborne, Maritime and Fixed Site (AMF) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) team has awarded a contract worth up to $140 million to General Dynamics [GD] to develop and integrate the maritime and fixed-site joint tactical radio capabilities and provide information assurance services.

JTRS is a family of advanced communication systems expected to replace current radios in all the services and provide secure Internet-like capabilities and networking to include voice, text, audio, and video. An essential part of the tactical Global Information Grid, AMF JTRS will be provided for on-the-move tactical platforms for joint forces, aircraft, maritime assets and fixed sites worldwide. AMF JTRS will be integrated into more than 150 airborne, shipboard and fixed-stations.

Last month, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $766.1 million design and development contract for JTRS AMF (Defense Daily, March 31). The Lockheed Martin team includes General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Raytheon [RTN] and Northrop Grumman [NOC].

General Dynamics C4 Systems will perform the work in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Defense Daily, April 2).

General Dynamics will develop and provide qualification testing for the joint tactical radios for Maritime and Fixed Sites, including radio set certification, waveform integration and deployment of fixed-site communication equipment. The company is also leading the information assurance development for the on-the-move networked communications for the Lockheed Martin AMF JTRS team. This includes development of the Type 1 Information Security modules for the airborne, maritime and fixed-site radios; and obtaining certification and accreditation for the AMF JTRS radios and system. This will include the processing of High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptor (HAIPEr) services for classified data.

General Dynamics is also prime contractor for the JTRS Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) program awarded by the Army in 2004. Designed for close combat tactical communication among warfighters, JTRS HMS is scheduled for limited user tests later this year.