DRS to supply Army with tough computers

DRS Technologies Inc. will provide the Army with rugged computer systems under a $52 million contract awarded to the Parsippany, N.J., company.

The Applique Computer Systems are installed on Army and Marine Corps vehicles, at operations centers and other command posts and help provide situational awareness for war fighters.

The contract is for Appliqué Computer Systems and peripheral equipment for the U.S. Army's Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below program. The Army's Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command made the award.

DRS' Tactical Systems unit in Melbourne, Fla., will produce the computer systems, including more than 5,700 processors, 5,800 display units, 5,300 keyboards, 6,700 hard disk drives and 1,400 rugged, solid-state hard disk drives.

The computer systems support the Army's Blue Force Tracking system, which include beyond line-of-sight reporting and tracking that is incorporated into the military's battlefield visualization efforts.

The Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below program is focused on developing a digital battle command information system designed to provide commanders and soldiers, from the brigade level to the individual soldier and across all battlefield areas, with improved information for command and control and enhanced situational awareness.

The DRS systems provide improved combat support for lower-echelon battle command tactical mission requirements, including near real-time command and control capabilities, enhanced interoperability, situational awareness and graphical combat area displays, throughout the force structure at the soldier, weapons and platform levels.

DRS Technologies has more than 10,000 employees and had annual sales of $1.7 billion in fiscal 2006. It ranks No. 28 on Washington Technology's 2006 Top 100 list of the largest federal IT contractors.