Harris wins US DOD Blue Force Tracking contract

Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received new orders to provide programmable encryption devices and support services for use in the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below-Blue Force Tracking system (FBCB2-BFT), which provides commanders with situational awareness and battle command capabilities. Total Harris orders for the encryption devices, software, maintenance and other customer support now exceed $100 million.

Harris is providing the new devices, known as the KGV-72, to Northrop Grumman Corporation, the prime contractor for FBCB2-BFT, for installation in FBCB2-BFT platforms and network operations centers. To date, more than 85,000 FBCB2-BFT systems have been deployed worldwide. The devices are supporting operational requirements of the US Army.

The KGV-72 is a programmable in-line encryption device that will deliver high-grade information security to the FBCB2-BFT network. Harris manufactures the KGV-72 encryption devices for the program at its facilities in Rochester, New York.

"The KGV-72 provides advanced security capabilities to a key command and control network vital for rapid decision-making in a tactical environment," said Brendan O'Connell, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. "This application reflects our broad expertise in high-grade software-programmable information security."

The KGV-72, which was certified in April 2009 by the National Security Agency, enables the FBCB2-BFT system to encrypt and transmit sensitive information network traffic. The KGV-72's design has been fully qualified to meet military specifications. As a building block of the larger FBCB2-BFT system, the KGV-72 is also deployed at network operations centers and in numerous ground and aviation platforms.

The device is also fully interoperable with the Joint Capability Release (JCR) - the next version of FBCB2-BFT software developed by Northrop Grumman - and is designed to support both the currently fielded network and the next-generation BFT-2 network. Because the KGV-72 is software programmable, future system evolutions can be accommodated with a software upgrade, avoiding the costs and time associated with equipment replacement.

In addition to inline network encryptors such as the KGV-72, Harris also is the leading provider of low-cost embeddable encryption solutions to platforms such as radios, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, remote sensors and missile/telemetry uses.

Source: Harris