The US Marine Corps (USMC) has awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to provide post-production lifecycle support for mobile command, control and communications systems.
Under the $7.3m firm-fixed-price contract, Northrop will provide lifecycle support of the AN/TYQ-23(V)4 tactical air operations module (TAOM) and related subsystems through to September 2014.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, situational awareness systems vice-president, Ike Song, said the company will continue to provide support that will maximise performance and personnel safety.
"As the original equipment manufacturer of the AN/TYQ-23, Northrop Grumman has supported changing needs in the command and control arena for more than 40 years," Song said.
The AN/TYQ-23(V)4 TAOM is a transportable command, control and communications facility that works jointly with the AN/TYQ-87(V)2 Sector Anti-Air Warfare Facility and peripheral equipment for surveillance, identification, threat evaluation, weapons coordination, airspace management and communications capabilities.
In addition, the facility serves as the hub of the Marine Corps Tactical Air Operations Center, which is the principal airspace control and management agency for the marines.
The AN/TYQ-23(V)4 comprises mission-essential equipment including computers as well as digital voice communications systems required for command and control functions.
The company will also help to sustain and upgrade the circuit card assemblies, software and hardware of the command and control systems that support the Tactical Air Operations Center while the software upgrades will be made to the multi-radar tracker and data communications unit, as part of the contract.
