The US Navy has awarded a $42.9m contract to The Boeing Company to continue providing communications network design and technical engineering services on guided missile destroyers.

Under the five-year contract, the company will continue to support the AN/USQ-82 (V) Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Optic Data Multiplex System programme for the repair and service of the navy’s DDG-51-class guided missile destroyers.

The company will enhance the Data Multiplex Systems (DMS), manage engineering changes, update technical documentation and develop interface design documents for new and refurbished ships.

In addition, installation support, system configuration management and land-based test sites and facilities for support operations will also be provided.

The DMS network design replaces conventional cabling on a guided missile destroyer providing a complete information-transfer combat and internal communication system.

The work will be carried out at Boeing’s C3 Networks division in Huntington Beach.

The contract will be supervised by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia.