Harris Corp. announced that it has been awarded a $275 M contract modification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to incorporate the agency’s Mission Support Services data function into the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program, bringing the total estimated value of the program for Harris to $2.2 B by 2017. “We are excited that the FAA has opted to include its Mission Support traffic as part of the FTI program,” said Al Dukes, president, Civil Programs business unit, Harris Government Communication Systems Division (GCSD). “Harris is very pleased to be teamed with the FAA in putting an infrastructure in place that meets the agency’s unique telecommunications services and security requirements, which are critical to the FAA’s role in managing air traffic.”
The FTI program, originally awarded to Harris in July 2002, is improving operational functions at more than 5000 FAA facilities nationwide while reducing operating costs, enhancing network security and improving telecommunications service performance, reliability and quality. Harris is also replacing more than 35,000 circuits, upgrading switching and routing services, improving network monitoring and control, implementing a state-of-the-art security system and providing network engineering services. The Harris team is already working to consolidate the Leased Interfacility NAS Communications System, Data Multiplexing Network, Bandwidth Manager and the National Aviation Data Interchange Network into FTI. “The Harris FTI team is committed to fulfilling its collective mission of providing the most efficient and reliable telecommunications solution to the FAA,” said John O’Sullivan, FTI program VP, Harris GCSD. “The comprehensive telecommunications and IT experience provided by our teammates, coupled with Harris expertise in highly reliable, secure communications systems integration and management, will help to insure that FTI requirements are met or surpassed over the life of the program.”