Tomahawk missiles to receive upgraded communications systems

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Raytheon has received a contract for more than $12.2 million for upgraded radio and antenna work on the U.S. Navy's Tomahawk missile.

The deal, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, is a modification to a cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order previously issued against a basic ordering agreement.

The contract calls for Raytheon to design, develop and integrate a government furnished integrated single box solution, or ISBS, radio into the Tactical Tomahawk, or TACTOM, Block IV All-Up-Round missile, along with improved antennas.

Additionally, the ISBS will be integrated into the TACTOM guidance test set, with test equipment receiving an update to support the Advanced Communications Architecture test strategy in order to streamline the engineering of advanced navigation systems.

Work on the contract will occur in Arizona and Colorado, and is expected to be finished in February 2019.

The Navy has obligated $4.235 million to Raytheon from fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds at the time of award, which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile can circle for hours, shift course instantly on command and beam a picture of targets to controllers halfway around the globe before hitting with pinpoint accuracy, according to Raytheon.

The missile can also be launched from a ship or submarine and can fly into heavily defended airspace more than 1,000 miles away.

In September 2016, Raytheon received a similar contract request worth $24 million.