LOCKHEED MARTIN WINS AMF JTRS SELECTION UPDATE
By Julian Nettlefold
20 Sep 08. The DoD announced on 28th March that Lockheed Martin IS&GS Mission & Combat Support Solutions of Chantilly, Va., was awarded a contract for $766,178,419 for the design and development of tactical radio systems for aircraft, ships and fixed installations under the Airborne Maritime and Fixed Station (AMF) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) requirement. The Boeing AMF Team which included Harris was the losing contender.
In 2005 JTRS was reformed into different radio technologies:
GMR: Main vehicle radio – led by Boeing
JEM: JTRS Enhanced MBITR – led by Thales Inc.
HMS: Handhelds, Manpacks, and Small Form Fits led by General Dynamics C4 Systems
AMF: Airborne, Maritime, and Fixed Station – led by Lockheed Martin
NED: Waveform Development and Enterprise Network Management and Services – led by Govt (SPAWAR)
The AMF system is required to be modular and capable of operating on several different waveforms currently in use by the armed forces and adaptable to future waveforms and vehicles.
“How is the contract structured?” the Editor asked U.S. Army Col. Raymond D. Jones, AMF JTRS program manager.
“The Lockheed Martin will develop 42 engineering development models of the small airborne configured system. While the initial engineering development models for the maritime sets will be configured for destroyers and the small airborne sets generically configured, there are options for additional sets configured for additional waveforms and weapons system platforms.” Jones continued.
“Given that Lockheed Martin is not widely recognised for its advanced radio technology, what gave you the edge to win AMF?”
“That is not the case, although we don’t shout about it. The key was Lockheed Martin’s ability to provide affordable, open, network-enabled, communications out to the tactical edge. We have considerable experience of developing complex radio systems at our Chantilly facility.” said Mark Norris, Lockheed Martin Program Director AMF JTRS.
“AMF JTRS extends net-centric warfare beyond the command center so this system is crucial to support information sharing and combat readiness, a must for today’s warfighters.”
“How will AMF be deployed?”
“AMF JTRS will network enable and provide interoperable communications for more than 100 platform types including fixed and rotary wing aircraft, submarines and surface ships, and fixed stations world-wide. The Lockheed Martin team’s successful Network Centric Operations Live Flight Demonstration at the end of the Pre-SDD Phase of the Program showed a glimpse of the future with improved situational awareness, tactical voice, video and data interoperability, and communications automation. The system is modular and capable of operating on several different waveforms currently in use by the armed forces and adaptable to future waveforms and vehicles.” Tony Gehr, Technical Director JTRS for Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Global Solutions of Chantilly, Va., told the Editor
The platforms include the Apache family, the CH47 helicopter, the Blackhawk family of helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicle class IV, C-130 Hercules family of aircraft, USMC operated helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. USN aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines; USAF fixed and deployable ground command and control systems. The contract includes an option for low rate initial production of 45 maritime/fixed stations sets and 104 small airborne sets. Additional options allows for additional sets configured for additional waveforms and other weapons systems/platforms.
Hanscom AFB, Mass., was the original contracting activity, prior to SPAWAR, whilst the testing of the engineering design models will take place at Huntsville and Fort Rucker, Alabama for the Army Aviation requirements where and Apache will be the test aircraft, Wright Patterson AFB for the USAF whilst the US Navy has to make a decis