Northrop Wins $240M Contract for AMF JTRS Radios

SAN DIEGO: Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a 56-month contract from Lockheed Martin worth up to $240 million, if all options are exercised, to provide critical technologies for the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station (AMF) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). An initial $186.7 million subcontract has been awarded focused on the software-defined radio development for AMF JTRS.

As Lockheed Martin's teammate, Northrop Grumman has the responsibility for leading the Joint Tactical Radio (JTR) integrated product team and co-development of the JTR small airborne (JTR-SA) hardware and software. Combined with the other elements in the program, including communications automation, networking, and platform solutions, the JTR is a key piece of the enabling capability for next generation of interoperable tactical communications.

Northrop Grumman will also provide common JTR software for two JTR form factors, wideband power amplifiers, and the use of Northrop's Advanced Communications Test Center in San Diego as the integration and test site for the JTR-SA radio, waveforms and ancillaries. The development activities will take place in San Diego, and supportability studies will be conducted in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

“We are working from more than two decades of developing software-defined radio technology to support this critical capability for communications interoperability,'' said Roger Fujii, vice president and general manager of the Network Communications Division for Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector. “We look forward to working with Lockheed Martin and the AMF team to bring net-enabled communications to our warfighters.''

AMF JTRS will develop a communications capability, which includes two software-defined, multifunction radio form factors for the use by the U.S. Department of Defense and potential use by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. AMF JTRS will enable operations of highly secure, high performance military tactical networks, connecting air, land and sea forces to communicate in a network-centric environment.

The AMF system will interoperate with legacy data and voice circuits used by the U.S., allied or NATO military forces, as well as communicate with civilian first-responder voice and data systems used in disaster relief and other national emergencies.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.