Raytheon extends Navy satellite reach over polar region

Raytheon Co. will extend satellite services to cover the remote polar region as a result of a $19 million Navy contract.

Under the contract, Raytheon will modify the Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) to link it with the Air Force's Enhanced Polar Satellite (EPS), which will allow Navy and Air Force warfighters to overcome communications gaps in that region.

EPS will provide continuous coverage for secure, jam-resistant, strategic and tactical communications to support peacetime, contingency, homeland defense, humanitarian assistance and wartime missions, according to the June 13 Raytheon announcement.

Raytheon has started the software and systems engineering modifications to the existing NMT ship, submarine and shore terminals to enable seamless operation with EPS, which is replacing the existing Interim Polar System.

EPS, using advanced waveforms, will provide much higher data rates and extended high-gain coverage. It will be interoperable with next-generation Advanced Extremely High Frequency-compatible sea-based, ground and airborne user terminals, the announcement said.

"This increased capability will give the Navy more mission flexibility and significantly increased capacity to provide protected voice, data and video communications supporting strategic and tactical missions," Scott Whatmough, vice president of Integrated Communication Systems for Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business, explained in the news release.

Raytheon Co., of Waltham, Mass., ranks No. 5 on Washington Technology’s 2012 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.