Raytheon has received a $48 million engineering services contract to support the integration and qualification of hand-held devices into platform-mounted Wi-Fi systems. The mobile devices will improve air-to-ground communication between combat teams, enhancing situational awareness as the mission unfolds.
Currently, Blackhawk crews and dismounted soldiers rely heavily on voice communications during a mission, and when dynamics are changing in the air and on the ground minute by minute. The company is helping aircrews and ground forces to better communicate and collaborate in real-time on the battlefield.
The contract is part of the U.S. Army's Air Soldier System (Air SS), the service's effort to equip its rotary-wing aircrews with wearable electronics which will increase their mission effectiveness and survivability.
Under the contract, Raytheon will load mission applications on commercial off-the-shelf phones and tablets to allow air and ground users to access and share current weather updates, friendly force trackers, and secure text messages.
