General
Dynamics DMR Radios Ordered for New U.S.
Navy Surface Vessels and Submarines
May 19, 2016
The U.S. Navy
awarded a contract modification to
General Dynamics Mission Systems to
build and deliver more than 30 new
AN/USC-61(C) Digital Modular Radios
(DMR), along with related materials and
equipment for new Navy surface vessels
and submarines. The software-defined
radios are a mission critical
communications hub for Navy vessels and
submarines. The contract modification
exercises the sixth option to a contract
awarded to General Dynamics in 2010. A
majority of the work will be done at
General Dynamics' Scottsdale, Arizona,
location.
"This contract
demonstrates the Navy's continuing trust
in DMR as it keeps pace with new and
innovative communications technology for
sailors and their commanders to securely
connect with one another anywhere,
everywhere, worldwide," said Paul
Parent, vice president of Radio Products
for General Dynamics Mission Systems.
"The new radios, like the 550 DMRs
already delivered to the Navy, are
updated and upgraded using software,
leaving the basic hardware in place,
cost-effectively increasing radio
functionality and versatility year after
year."
DMR radios allow sailors and commanders
to talk and share data with a wide
spectrum of military radios. Recently
added to DMR radios, the MUOS waveform
is the digital dial-tone needed to
connect with the new Navy-lead Mobile
User Objective System (MUOS) satellite
communications network. Once the MUOS
network is operational, it will deliver
secure, smartphone-like capabilities
including crystal-clear voice
communications and access to video and
mission command information with the
quality of service that smartphone users
enjoy every day.
The Navy's DMR
four-channel radio was the first
software-defined radio delivered to the
U.S. military. As one of the military's
most versatile tactical radios, one
four-channel DMR can simultaneously
support communications using Ultra-High
Frequency satellite networks,
single-channel Ground and Airborne Radio
Systems (SINCGARS) Line of Sight and
other tactical, High Frequency radios.
It is NSA certified to carry classified
information at the Type 1 – Top Secret
level and below.