ViaSat Inc. will provide the U.S. Navy a tactical radio system under a contract that could be worth up to $19 million.

The company will provide terminal engineering, terminals to support air-worthiness testing and the first lot of Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System terminals. The Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, awarded the contract.

ViaSat is one of two U.S. government-qualified developers of a form-fit radio terminal, which is designed to be plug-and-play interchangeable for Navy and Air Force platforms. The terminal is designed to operate using new communication protocols and perform new applications that will more easily integrate into more host platforms.

ViaSat and Data Link Solutions LLC recently demonstrated for Pentagon officials the terminal’s ability to communicate with a Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal and a Tactical Air Navigation beacon simulator.

With the Defense Department advocating a software-defined radio approach, the Navy is engineering Joint Tactical Radio System compliance into the next generation Multifunctional Information Distribution System so that it does not lose its investment in thousands of installed systems.

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