The U.S. Navy recently awarded a $32 million production contract to Raytheon Company for next-generation encryption systems to safeguard tactical military data transmissions across air, surface, subsurface and group assets.
Raytheon’s Link Level Communication Security 7M encryptor (LLC 7M) provides enhanced security for the Link 22 tactical radio system, typically used by the U.S. military and its allies. It replaces the older Link 11 radio system and is compatible with the current Link 16 platform.
“With the signing of the LLC 7M production contract, and its ability to seamlessly integrate with Link 16, the Link 22 system is now ready for prime time,” said Chuck Schwartz, project manager for the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) NATO Improved Link Eleven project office. “We expect the system to eventually be adopted by more than 30 allied nations.”
The new system is being developed under a contract with SPAWAR, which includes international partners such as Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The contract covers a five-year base performance period with a five-year additional option. If all options are exercised, the total value of the contract would be $63 million.
“Securing our nation’s critical information, while enabling communications is paramount to victory on any battlefield, and Raytheon is delivering this capability with the LLC 7M,” Raytheon’s Director of Secure Information Systems John Droge said.