L3Harris has received a $60-million contract to deliver satellite communication (SATCOM) terminals to the US Army.
Under the agreement, the company will provide its proprietary Hawkeye III Lite Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) system, which provides high-speed internet connections.
The lightweight dish measures 1.2 meters (3.9 feet), has a low center-of-gravity design for convenient installation, and can be configured for aircraft use.
Furthermore, the Hawkeye III can re-establish communication after moving between locations with faster restoration time compared to its previous iterations.
“The integration of our Hawkeye III Lite VSATs into the US Army transport architecture is key to enabling uninterrupted mission command and rapidly deploying and supporting maneuver forces across the battlefield,” L3Harris Tactical Communications President Chris Aebli stated.
“These terminals deliver high-speed data communications with complete network flexibility, modular modems and frequency bands, providing the Army a multi-domain communications backbone in contested environments.”
SATCOM Terminal Initiative
The Florida-based firm wrote that plans to develop new SATCOM terminals for the US Army began seven years ago.
L3Harris pitched a solution for the project in 2019 and received the initial contract in 2020. The agreement stipulated support, maintenance, and training services in addition to the equipment.
The company has since received four follow-on contracts for the program.
“The expeditionary transport conversion kicked off in earnest in 2018, when the Chief of Staff of the Army received feedback from signaleers that the equipment was outdated and no longer met the needs for increased data across the modern battlespace,” L3Harris US Army Tactical Communications Director Bill Seiss said.
“This latest partnership continues to provide more signaleers with the highest-performing VSAT on the market.”
For International Use
Alongside the US Army’s legacy system inventory, the Hawkeye III terminal is compatible with the networking platforms of other international users, L3Harris said.
“The Hawkeye III Lite has a broad user base across the globe, from Australia to Europe, including NATO and Five Eyes countries,” L3Harris Account Management Lead Zsanette McKinney explained.
“We have a continued commitment to innovation and sustainment to ensure our VSATs meet the needs of our customers for as long as they require them.”