STEVE NICHOLS

L-3 Communications (Hall 4, A14) is demonstrating its prowess at providing digital electronic systems for the military.

It has won two contracts totalling $40 million for computerised cryptography boards plus analysis and support for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The first contract, worth $30 million, is for computer boards to provide Type 1 cryptographic-based security, key management and data for the classified hardware and software used in the JSF mission systems and integrated core processor.

The second, with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, Texas, is to supply weapons level system information security engineering analysis and support.

These hi-tech wins come on the back of another major contract win for the supply of selective-availability anti-spoofing module (SAASM) upgrade kits for the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation simulator. SAASM is used by the US Department of Defense, NATO and the Japanese Defence Force.

L-3's joint-venture company, ACSS, has also unveiled a surveillance product that provides a high degree of situational awareness for military flight operations. The Military Airborne Surveillance System (MASS) uses the same technology as ACSS's commercial product, but adds rendezvous, formation station-keeping and encroachment alert functions.

MASS was developed as an enhancement to the traffic alert and collision avoidance TCAS 2000 system.

Source: Flight Daily News