MILPLEX
Harris Selected For $22M Communications Program Supporting USAF E-10A
Melbourne FL (SPX) Sep 15, 2004
Harris Monday announced that it has been selected by Northrop Grumman to provide communications equipment and image processing expertise under a multi-year, $22 million System Design and Demonstration (SDD) program as part of the Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) portion for the U.S. Air Force E-10A aircraft.

The E-10A will combine next-generation airborne ground surveillance and BMC2 capability to provide tomorrow's warfighter with superior vision and decision-quality knowledge.

With production options, Harris estimates its total value of equipment and systems work on the BMC2 portion of the program could reach $50 million by 2014.

The E-10A's next-generation capability will combine the technological improvements of the Multi-platform Radar Technology Insertion Program with the latest in open architecture data processing and net-centric communications solutions.

The BMC2 subsystem, which comprises the aircraft's non-radar and non-aircraft functions, includes the central computing architecture, networks, data storage, data manipulation, data fusion, data exploitation, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, communications and data link capability.

"The E-10A represents the future of integrated, airborne surveillance and targeting for the Air Force, and Harris is pleased to be part of Northrop Grumman's BMC2 solution," said Dan Pearson, president, Department of Defense Programs business unit, Harris Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD).

"Harris communications equipment and image processing capabilities, both of which will be instrumental in a successful BMC2 solution, are core capabilities we provide to our defense and intelligence community customers."

As part of the Northrop Grumman team, Harris is responsible for integrating satellite communications equipment and airborne data links, as well as providing image processing and sensor data fusion capabilities for the BMC2 component of the E-10A.

Harris