TSP is a subsystem intended for the Army's tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The payload collects and processes radio frequency energy which will be displayed on the payload operator's work station in a ground processing facility. The system provides the ground tactical commander with an airborne collection capability that is responsive to real time emerging operational intelligence requirements.

BAE Systems Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS) business unit in Nashua, N.H., received the contract June 30 which is valued at $27 million over the next 36 months.

Larrie Cable, BAE Systems vice president of BAE Systems' Information Dominance Systems in Hudson, N.H., said, "This win validates our core capabilities in the areas of signals exploitation and creation of actionable intelligence."

The airborne payload will be tasked and operated from remote ground locations. It will be able to map enemy emitters in real time on the battlefield. That capability enhances friendly forces situational awareness and helps speed time sensitive targeting of high priority enemy targets.

"This capability brings the Army closer to achieving its goal of a networked-enabled combat force at the tactical levels," said Matt Merryman, BAE Systems business development manager. "TSP will provide a critical capability to see and understand the enemy on the future battlefields."

Merryman stated the backbone of the payload is the BAE Systems-developed Diamond Software Framework. "This object-oriented, open-architecture framework allows the rapid development of capability. And through extensive software reuse, it will reduce total ownership cost to the Army for TSP and other SIGINT programs," Merryman said. Further savings will come from using predominantly commercially available off-the-shelf hardware components.

"Another significant advantage of the BAE Systems TSP offering is that it is fully scaleable for employment on other platforms, large or small," Merryman added.

The majority of the work will be done in Hudson, N.H. General Dynamics C4I Systems in Scottsdale, Ariz., will contribute to the program.

BAE SYSTEMS