Harris Corporation Awarded Contract with a Potential Value of $56.7 Million by Federal Aviation Administration for Alaska Flight Services System

MELBOURNE, Fla., June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights:

• Managed services program helps FAA address unique challenges of Alaskan airspace  
• OASIS provides critical, real-time, integrated information for FAA briefings to general aviation pilots
• Harris also will provide upgraded COTS hardware and software components

Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has been awarded a potential 42-month, $56.7 million follow-on contract by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to upgrade and manage the system that currently provides real-time weather data and flight-planning capabilities supporting Alaska's general aviation community.  The award consists of a one-year base contract, a one-year option, and three six-month options through December 2014.

Under the Operational and Supportability Implementation System (OASIS) program, Harris will provide integrated flight planning and real-time weather briefing capabilities to FAA Flight Service specialists.  OASIS also supports "Notice to Airmen" (NOTAM) messages – which alert pilots to potential hazards, as well as up-to-date radar and satellite imagery. As part of the contract, Harris will upgrade hardware and software for the OASIS flight service automation system, and will provide system test and maintenance support services.

The OASIS system, which first went online in 2007, is operational at 18 sites in Alaska and is installed at four support sites in the continental U.S.  

"OASIS is critical to ensuring the safety of general aviation aircraft operating in the challenging weather conditions and remote mountainous terrain of Alaska," said John O'Sullivan, vice president, Harris Mission Critical Networks.  "As a managed service, OASIS ensures low-risk, cost-effective modernization of the FAA's technology infrastructure in Alaska and leverages the experience we have gained from other programs, including the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program."

Harris has a long history of developing and integrating system solutions for the FAA in support of the National Airspace System (NAS).  The company is the prime contractor for the FTI program, which is providing improved network security and communications services to more than 4,000 FAA facilities nationwide.  In addition to FTI and OASIS, other FAA programs developed by Harris include:

• Weather and Radar Processor (WARP), which provides weather information to air traffic controllers in the en-route air traffic control environment;
• Voice Switching and Control System (VSCS), which provides the critical air-to-ground communications links between en-route aircraft and air traffic controllers throughout the continental U.S.; and  
• Alaskan NAS Inter-facility Communications System (ANICS), which provides satellite-based communications for the NAS in Alaska.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.  Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $6 billion of annual revenue and more than 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.  Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.  Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about the expected value of the program to Harris are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Harris Corporation