BAE Systems to develop OSA framework for C2E

BAE Systems will develop a new open system architecture (OSA) framework of reliable, jam-resistant networked communications as part of the first phase of DARPA's Communications in Contested Environments (C2E) programme. The company announced that it has received a $3.2 million contract for the work on 20 November.

The OSA will assist in the development of new and more effective communications platforms to support allied forces in highly contested environments, in order to better combat the rapid evolution of technological threats posed by US adversaries.

The OSA will be required to support ongoing, evolutionary technology upgrades to match application demands and changing adversary threats, and overcome the challenge faced by current military communications architectures that lack the flexibility to expand and adapt to demands for increased or different performance.

Michael V Beltrani, director of business development, BAE Systems, said: ‘With our role in the C2E programme, we’re not only addressing technological threats that we anticipate our adversaries will use tomorrow, we’re looking decades into the future and building a system that can adapt and flex to support a high level of change and advancement in the years ahead.

‘We have more than 25 years of proven, fielded experience in networked communications — Link 16 in particular — that will be a significant strength in this effort.’

The DARPA C2E programme aims to leverage capability advancements in the US commercial communications industry to protect military communications.  In addition to the new OSA that BAE Systems will create, the programme will look at two additional technical areas: heterogeneous networking capability to improve pervasive services while accommodating legacy platform capabilities and an environment that allows the incorporation of third party technology and the rapid refresh of capability.