Raytheon was selected based on the company's outstanding performance scores in providing similar solutions for the last five years to customers in the classified community.

The award, which has a potential value of $57 million, also includes maintenance and transition of DARPA's existing networks to meet future requirements.

Raytheon's DSEN solution is based on its Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) architecture. This accreditable, service-oriented architecture provides a secure, compartmented Microsoft Windows-based environment -- a user-friendly environment familiar to today's countless personal computer users.

With this effort, local, disparate networks will be connected to a single, integrated network. In the past, national security constraints required reliance on "sneaker net" including manually removing hard drives to share information.

Raytheon's technology will enable DARPA's staff to send secure e-mail and file attachments, to share instant messages, and to collaborate via voice and video in an environment that recognizes security clearances and manages access to information accordingly.

"In delivering our CHAIN solution to DARPA, we are providing critical information assurance for one of the DoD's leading technology innovators," said Matt Gilligan, vice president, Raytheon Command and Control Systems. "In fact, we believe the DoD will benefit from this technology in the way information is shared with allies and coalition force members."

source: Raytheon Related Links