Raytheon to supply satellite communications to submarines

Raytheon Co. won a $29.4 million contract from Electric Boat Corp. to produce new multiband satellite communication systems for the new Virginia-class submarine, Raytheon said today.

The Virginia-class vessels are next-generation attack submarines and the first designed for a wide range of missions.

The submarines have two high data rate masts that allow simultaneous communication at high frequencies. Sailors can deploy the high data rate system by raising a mast-mounted antenna above the ocean's surface while the vessel remains submerged at periscope depth.

The system connects to the Global Broadcast Service, the Milstar satellite constellation and the Defense Satellite Communication System to send and receive information. The high data rate system lets underwater forces fully participate in coordinated fleet battle group operations and FORCEnet operations ? an architectural framework for network-centric naval warfare.

Raytheon's facilities in Marlborough, Mass., design and develop the submarine high data rate systems, and the defense company's employees in Largo, Fla., manufacture it. To date, Raytheon has developed and delivered more than 50 submarine high data rate systems under contracts worth more than $160 million.

Based in Groton, Conn., Electric Boat, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp., designs, builds and maintains nuclear attack and ballistic-missile submarines for the Navy.

Headquartered in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 78,000 people worldwide and had 2003 revenue of $18.1 billion. The company is No. 7 on Washington Technology's 2004 Top 100 list of federal prime contractors.