DRS Technologies Awarded U.S. Army Contract for Next-Generation Family of Network Computing Systems

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DRS Technologies, Inc., a Finmeccanica Company, announced today that its Network and Imaging Systems group has been awarded a competitively bid Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) three-year contract with a potential total value of $455 million for a modular family of computers and display systems that are expected to form the heart of next-generation network computing technology for the U.S. Army.

The Mounted Family of Computing Systems (MFoCS) will be installed on ground vehicles and weapons platforms to provide modular computing capabilities across the services.

Under the IDIQ contract, DRS will provide dismountable tablets, platform-computing servers, docking stations, interconnecting cables, installation kits, and three sizes of ruggedized sunlight-readable touch-screen display units for more than 40 types of ground vehicles and weapons platforms. The three-year contract, executed by the Army and available for the Marine Corps and other services to acquire systems through it as well, includes options for two one-year extensions.

The family of common computer and display technology will add capability while reducing the overall size, weight, power and cost of the systems currently installed worldwide on U.S. military ground vehicles and platforms.  

The award marks the most recent DRS accomplishment in a long history of providing U.S. ground forces with state-of-the-art network computing technology.

"This technology will provide our warfighters with a strategic advantage on the battlefield and builds on the DRS heritage of supplying cutting-edge network computing systems for the U.S. military," said William J. Lynn, CEO of DRS Technologies and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Over the past decade, DRS has delivered more than 180,000 Force XXI Battle Command Brigade-and-Below (FBCB2) and 25,000 Movement Tracking systems for U.S. ground forces worldwide. The systems provide critical Blue Force Tracking of friendly forces and situational awareness for the military.

Mike Sarrica, President of DRS Network and Imaging Systems, said, "U.S. warfighters deserve reliable systems and the latest in networking technologies to successfully conduct global operations in all types of environments. Our partnership with U.S. ground forces began more than one decade ago and has resulted in the delivery of some 200,000 battle-proven computing and display systems to the Army, Marines, U.S. Special Operations Command and joint/coalition forces." The DRS mission, Sarrica said, is "to deliver quality, leading-edge solutions that enable mission command capabilities with unmatched reliability and industry-leading cost-effectiveness."

Three levels of computing and display capability in three hardware configurations will be fielded to meet Joint Force and Army requirements. The MFoCS family is fully interoperable with already fielded legacy systems, protecting significant investments in technology that provide distinct advantages in situational awareness, battlefield digitization and mission command. The DRS solution will not only meet key Warfighter Information Network-Tactical requirements, but will also integrate the fielded FBCB2 system, the current Joint Battle Command Platform.

This next generation of computing platforms also includes new technologies such as the Intel® 3^rd generation Core™ i7 Processor, expanded memory, greater storage and enhanced Information Assurance. The enhancements will significantly improve processing capacity and efficiency to run next-generation software applications such as JBC-P, the Forward Observer System and the Tactical Ground Reporting System.

The contract will support the Army PEO C3T and Program Manager Joint Battle Command Platform at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Design and manufacturing of the systems will be performed by the DRS Network and Imaging Systems group in Melbourne, Florida.

About DRS

DRS Technologies is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide and is the 2013 recipient of the Defense Security Service Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence as well as three James S. Cogswell Awards for Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA (FNC.MI), which employs approximately 70,000 people worldwide. Within DRS, the Network and Imaging Systems (NIS) group manufactures and supports advanced electro-optical sensor systems, and develops innovative networking capabilities that integrate these sensors in a broader tactical C4 environment. NIS is based in Dallas, Texas; Melbourne, Fla.; Cypress, Calif.; Huntsville, Ala.; and the UK. For more information about DRS Technologies, please visit the company's website at www.drs.com.

For additional information please contact:

Michael Mount
Director
Public Affairs and Communications
571-447-4624
[email protected]

SOURCE DRS Technologies, Inc.