Lockheed, Sanmina-SCI join forces for VIS-X

Lockheed Martin Corp. and Sanmina-SCI have signed a teaming agreement to pursue a multibillion-dollar Army program to upgrade military vehicles with digital communications systems.

The Army plans to award a five-year, $3.5 billion indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract in mid-2008 for the Vehicular Intercommunication System program, also known as VIS-X.

The contract will cover installation and support for 54,000 vehicles, including Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, up-armored Humvees and Army-operated commercial trucks.

VIS-X will enable over-the-horizon data and voice communications among vehicles in battle groups.

The Army's Communications-Electronics Command at Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting authority for the program.

Lockheed Martin/Sanmina-SCI "will offer the Army a low-risk, off-the-shelf digital system designed for the battlefield environment, along with testing, fielding, training and maintenance and logistics to ensure global supportability," said Michele Evans, vice president of Aircraft Systems at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration ? Owego.

Sanmina-SCI of Huntsville, Ala., is an electronics manufacturing services company.

Lockheed Martin of Bethesda ranks No. 1 on Washington Technology's 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.