Building on DRS's earlier success as a key integrator of the OPUS 2 command consoles for the Royal Navy's Hunt Class Command System Upgrade, this program will backfit the same capability into the Royal Navy's SRMH, its other major class of Mine Countermeasures (MCM) vessels.

The contract was awarded to DRS by AMS in Frimley, Surrey, the United Kingdom, an Anglo-Italian joint venture of BAE Systems, U.K., and Finmeccanica, Italy.

For this $7.5 million award, DRS will design, integrate and deliver more than 30 consoles, both upgraded and new equipment, based on the proven electronic subsystems used in DRS's OPUS 2 display systems.

The SRMH integrated display consoles will run AMS's world-class NAUTIS combat management system application, providing commonality with other MCM ships.

Work for this contract will be accomplished by the company's DRS Tactical Systems unit in Farnham, Surrey, U.K. Product deliveries are expected to commence this May and continue through December 2007.

"This new order reaffirms DRS's position as a leading international supplier of high-quality, multi-function, integrated display systems for advanced naval applications," said Steven T. Schorer, president of DRS's C4I Group.

"Based on our customer's commitment to the long-term sustainability of the OPUS 2 display technology and its successful implementation, we are able to offer the same highly compliant, modular solution that leverages commonality across additional classes of Royal Navy MCM vessels."

The OPUS 2 Multi-Function Console product line was developed with extensive consideration for modularity, conformance to defense ergonomic standards and versatility.

The design allows for fast customization for a variety of applications required for air, sea and land systems, including sonar, C3, weapons control and platform management. Modular and easily configurable, the OPUS 2 console can be adjusted for vertical or horizontal use and is ideal for future display sizes.

For the SRMH application, the systems will be supplied with integrated Sun(R) UltraSPARC dual-backplane VME electronics, Primagraphics display subsystems and 21.3-inch, 1,600 by 1,200-pixel, high-resolution displays.

DRS previously has manufactured and installed consoles and electronics on British Hunt Class Mine Hunter warships and has provided similar upgraded consoles for the Japanese Navy.

AMS's NAUTIS 3 MCM Command and Control System is the latest variant of the Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)-based NAUTIS family of command systems already in service with the U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, among others. It controls all of the combat system equipment essential to MCM mission effectiveness.

DRS Technologies