16 March 2010

Just nine months after the contract award, Harris Corporation successfully completed the Critical Implementation Review for the U.S. Army's Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program.  These next-generation, military satellite communications terminals will provide the worldwide backbone for high-priority military communications and missile defense systems.

Completion of this critical review establishes the design baseline of the terminals.  It enables the 10-year program to move into the next phase, which includes manufacturing, coding, integration, test and certification of the First Article Test units.  The review was conducted January 12-15 in Melbourne, Florida, by the Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems team, an organization within the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems.

"Completing this review in only nine months is a major step forward for the MET program.  It establishes a common understanding of the design baseline and ensures all technical, program and supportability requirements are properly accounted for in the design," said Wes Covell, president of Harris Defense Programs.

Harris is the prime contractor for the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract valued at a potential $600 million.  The company will develop, test and certify four unique terminal configurations during a 30-month, First Article Test phase.  In addition, Harris will provide production hardware under a five-year base contract, with one five-year option.  It will also support field activities such as site preparation, installation, test, operations and maintenance.  The next major milestone in the program will be the Test Readiness Review, scheduled for September 2010.  

Under the MET program, Harris will replace up to 80 AN/GSC-52, AN/GSC-39, AN/FSC-78 and other aging strategic satellite communications terminals around the world.  Their replacements will be new X-band or simultaneous X- and Ka-band terminals capable of interfacing with the new Wideband Global Satellite constellation, as well as with legacy satellite systems.  

The new terminals will support Internet Protocol and Dedicated Circuit Connectivity within the Global Information Grid, providing critical "reach-back" capability for the warfighter.  This capability enables a soldier in the field to communicate back to the main base or command, accessing resources not available at that remote location.  

Harris Defense Programs develops, supplies and integrates communications and information processing products, systems, and networks for a diverse base of aerospace, terrestrial and maritime applications supporting U.S. Department of Defense missions.  Harris is committed to delivering leading-edge technologies that support the military's ongoing transformation to network-centric communications.