BAE Systems awarded NSC contract

The US

(DARPA) has selected

to lead a team of 10 companies in the next development phases of the Novel Satellite Communications (NSC) program.

The Phase 3 contract is valued at $10.3m, with options for an additional $4.3m.

‘The Novel Satellite Communications program is exploiting new phenomenology to defend satellite communications links against electronic attack,’ said Dr. Michael Zatman, the DARPA program manager for NSC. ‘The protection that the NSC technologies afford our communications satellites will ensure that our war fighters have the situational awareness they need.’

According to BAE Systems, NSC will protect uplink signals to satellites against hostile jamming using advanced signal processing techniques to enable uninterrupted communications.

BAE Systems led the initial effort, sponsored by DARPA, to provide testing and proof of concept of new NSC algorithms and communication techniques. The company also was one of three contractor teams leading the recently completed Phase 2 efforts to progress toward increasingly realistic satellite scenarios and future field demonstrations.

Phase 3 will mature the NSC algorithm suite, design a real-time demonstration system, and develop initial technology transition plans. The full system demonstration with existing satellites will be conducted during Phase 4.

Work will be performed in the US and is expected to be completed in early 2008.