L-3 Communications Announces $8.6 Million Contract From Boeing For B-52H CONECT Program
New York - L-3 Communications announced that its Communication Systems-East (L-3 CS-East) division has been awarded a contract by The Boeing Company for the B-52H COmbat NEtwork Communications Technology (CONECT) File Server System Program. As part of this program, L-3 CS-East will be providing the Airborne and Ground File Server Systems, as well as solid-state memory Removable Storage Devices (RSDs) from its Strategic/Tactical Airborne Recorder (S/TAR) product line. The initial contract for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase is valued at $8.6 million. L-3 CS-East will begin delivering CONECT File Server Systems to Boeing in the fall of 2006. A production phase to upgrade the fleet of B-52s with the CONECT system is anticipated in 2008.
The CONECT program is managed by Boeing in Wichita, Kansas, the prime contractor for the B-52 since 1955. The CONECT program is a three-phase upgrade program to integrate the B-52H into network-centric operations. This will include new flight deck glass displays, the addition of either the Link 16 or Joint Tactical Radio System, and the new family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals. CONECT will provide a wide-band, high-speed pipeline into the aircraft, and enable B-52s to share data with other military systems and platforms through enhanced communications and improved situational awareness. This new technology will allow aircraft crews to dynamically retask missions and weapons during flight, creating new warfighting roles and capabilities.
A key component of the CONECT system will be L-3's File Server System (FSS) and associated RSDs. The contract calls for development and delivery of 19 Ground and Airborne File Server Systems. The FSS design includes Networked Attached Storage (NAS) functionality, which provides access to data files stored on removable non-volatile memory. The FSS will support the network booting of other computational systems within the CONECT system and also provides a means of transferring data between the ground-based storage management system and the aircraft.
"This technology is a key enabler in the transformation of the B-52 into a network centric asset," said Greg Roberts, president of L-3 CS-East. "The B-52 CONECT program extends our industry leading S/TAR ISR recording product line into a complete file server system, providing data storage, the operating system and client management. Our technology supports seamless transfer of mission critical data within the B-52 and to ground host systems."
The S/TAR product is currently used on the F-18E/F, F-18C, F-15, F-16C Block 30, F-16 Block 52, RF-4, P-8 MMA, CASA 212, JAS 39 Gripen and RC-26B, as well as on multiple ground exploitation systems.
L-3 CS-East, based in Camden, NJ, designs, develops, produces and integrates communication systems and support equipment for commercial, space, ground, air and naval operations.
SOURCE: L-3 Communications