Raytheon to upgrade satellite communications terminals

Raytheon Co. will deliver upgrade kits for tactical satellite communication terminals used by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps as well as Canada and the Netherlands through an $84.6 million contract.

The Secure Mobile Anti-jam Reliable Tactical Terminals, or SMART-T, are made by Raytheon and designed to communicate with the next-generation of advanced extremely high frequency communications satellites.

Raytheon's AEHF kits multiply by four times the data rate of existing SMART-T systems, the company said. AEHF is the Defense Department's method for providing highly protected satellite communications.

The Waltham, Mass.-based company has fielded more than 300 SMART-T systems to date, said Jerry Powlen, vice president of Raytheon's Network Centric Systems Integrated Communications Systems. "With the added AEHF capability, we are assuring the readiness of tomorrow's communications systems," he said.

The AEHF upgrade assimilates Raytheon's extended data rate waveform hardware and software modifications. The new XDR waveform provides users with increased bandwidth, which enables the use of real-time video, battlefield mapping and targeting data.

Raytheon has about 73,000 employees and had annual revenue of $20.3 billion in 2006. The company ranks No. 6 on Washington Technology's 2006 Top 100 list of the largest federal IT contractors.