DRS Will Develop Handheld Computing Systems for U.S. Army Soldier and Marine Dismounted Situational Awareness

DRS Technologies, Inc., A Finmeccanica Company, announced its DRS Tactical Systems business unit received a cost-plus fixed-fee award for the development of an ultra-rugged handheld device for the U.S. Army’s Joint Battle Command – Platform (JBC-P) program.

The company received the order from the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

As one of two companies selected for this contract, DRS will develop a solution for dismounted situational awareness requirements for Soldiers and Marines that is interoperable with the current Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) Blue Force Tracking (BFT) system.

As part of the requirement, the handheld system must include an ultra-rugged computing device, software, suite B security, and have the ability to support various communications solutions in order to receive and send friendly force position location and provide communication capability to and from Soldiers and Marines.

DRS Tactical Systems, Inc. located in Melbourne, Florida will design and manufacture the systems with initial prototype deliveries scheduled for September, 2011.

“We are pleased in being selected to develop a system that puts critical network connectivity and situational awareness right in the hands of our Soldiers and Marines,” says Mike Sarrica, vice president and general manager of DRS Tactical Systems. “This program will demonstrate the advantage of a government-industry team that leverages the speed, cost-effectiveness and innovations of the commercial market, and makes them available as a capability to meet the Mission Command requirements.”

website at www.drs.com.