The US Navy has awarded a contract to Comtech Telecommunications to develop and deliver the advanced time division multiple access (TDMA) interface processor (ATIP) for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).
Under the firm-fixed price contract, the company’s subsidiary Comtech EF Data will supply ATIP Layer-2 Ethernet bridging device to replace the navy’s legacy TDMA interface processor.
Equipped aboard ship, shore and submarine platforms in the navy multiband terminal (NMT), the ATIP will provide transparent bridging capabilities among internet protocol users that are geographically distributed and connected through Milstar medium data rate (MDR), advanced extremely high-frequency MDR/extended data rate (XDR) or enhanced polar XDR links.
Comtech Telecommunications president and chief executive officer Fred Kornberg said: "We look forward to providing the navy the next-generation ATIP devices to help expand the functionality and capabilities of their network."
The company will also provide development and engineering services, including software design and development, test and evaluation support and sustainment support on a cost-plus basis as part of the contract.
The $29m contract, which includes options, has a four-year period of performance and is expected to be complete by 2018.
Work under the contract will be carried out in Tempe and Scottsdale Arizona, US.
A total of $7.5m has been received by the company for the development phase of the ATIP, while the contract funding has initially been set at $4.5m.
The US Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) will serve as the contracting activity.
