BAE awarded $90M to upgrade, maintain Navy's communications and combat systems

June 24 (UPI) -- BAE Systems was awarded a five-year, $90 million contract to modernize and maintain critical communications and combat systems.

The systems, which are embedded within vehicles, watercraft, and specialized communications platforms, integrate command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and are called C5ISR.

Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Md.; Little Creek, Va.; and Fayetteville, N.C., BAE said in a news release.

The systems are integrated and networked to improve the situational awareness of military operators and decision-makers, according to BAE.

"Technology is constantly evolving and the mission needs of our customers can change," Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Integrated Defense Solutions business, said in a news release. "As systems integrators, we are providing agile engineering, testing and field support to help our military customers adapt and maintain a tactical edge."

For more than 25 years, BAE Systems has been supporting Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Mission Solutions Division with mobile deployable systems.

These systems are also used by Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security, and other Department of Defense and non-defense agencies.

"Our engineers specialize in providing custom, tailor-made C5ISR solutions to help close communications capability gaps for the U.S. military," Keeler said. "BAE Systems takes pride in keeping the lines of communication open for those on the front lines of national security."

Navy Information Dominance Forces team ensures those systems work and are ready to go to sea as part of the Deploying Group System Integration Testing.

"The best way to validate performance of C5I systems is to test interoperability and integration in a stressed operational environment," Mike Caldwell, the DGSIT Atlantic program manager, said in a Navy news release. "The systems and sailors are under pressure because of the tactical exercise demands. It is probably the first time that collection [of sailors] has worked together, and it may be the first time those ships have worked together. But the team is there to make sure everything works for both advanced training and deployment."