The U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) awarded ViaSat Inc. contracts to provide Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) terminals to the U.S. Navy and Air Force. The two contracts, Lot 5 and Lot 5a, total $88.3 million and are expected to complete by June 2019.

MIDS JTRS enhances battlefield communications for joint and coalition warfighters, providing the ability to communicate by voice, video and data with a line-of-sight, jam-resistant capability among ground, air and naval assets. The MIDS JTRS terminal is a four-channel, software-defined radio that delivers Link 16 communications with concurrent multi-netting-4 and tactical air navigation, as well as three channels for future growth.

With these contracts, ViaSat remains the largest provider of MIDS JTRS terminals to the United States military. The Lot 5 and Lot 5a awards substantially increase terminal orders and deliveries to the U.S. Navy and Air Force, as the services begin a full transition to MIDS JTRS. ViaSat will perform the work in Carlsbad, California, and Tempe, Arizona.

Ken Peterman, president of the government systems unit of ViaSat, said, “The Lot 5 and Lot 5a awards underscore ViaSat's position as the leading provider of state-of-the-art Link 16 airborne networking systems. The size of these awards will allow us to establish operational economies of scale that will further benefit customers in cost savings.”