The Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a contract to upgrade a key tactical link processor on surface ships designed to provide real-time information about friendly and enemy activity during combat, according to the company.

The $80 million, five-year contract is for the work on the Next Generation Command and Control Processor (NGC2P) and contains an additional two-year option that would bring the total value to $95 million, Northrop Grumman said.

The contract was awarded by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).

“Our collaboration with the Navy accomplished this critical capability for warfighters, and we will continue to provide innovative and affordable solutions to enhance the system,” said Mike Twyman, Northrop Grumman’s vice president and general manager for defense information systems.

The contract calls on Northrop Grumman to provide software and hardware system development, engineering services and technology upgrade kits for the communications processors aboard ships.

The work is meant to increase computing capacity and later support system capability enhancements and new capability insertions, such as the integration of the Link 22 secure digital radio link.

Northrop Grumman was first selected to develop NGC2P in 2008.