The US military’s JTRS program began in the late 1990s as an attempt to unify its underlying communications infrastructure. The idea was to create a family of radios for troops, vehicles, ships, et. al. that all shared a similar underlying architecture, could use Internet Protocol for data, and was a “software-defined” platform that relied on software rather than hardware to handle communication protocols. This would eliminate the Iraqi war phenomenon of multiple radios in each vehicle, in order to let the troops inside talk to various services et. al. It would also make the equipment far more “future proof,” by allowing in-place upgrades to extend compatibility with American and foreign systems, add new communications waveforms, et. al.

The program was visionary – and very ambitious. Ongoing requirements creep was thrown into the mix, and the result was major delays and cost overruns that eventually led to the complete restructuring of the program. Contracts. The part of the program that aimed to create radios for aircraft and ships has seen development contracts issued to Team Boeing (Boeing, BBN Technologies, Harris, L-3 Communications, Milcom Systems Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins) and to Team Lockheed (Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon) back in 2004, with an extension in 2006 that brought the totals to about $75 million each.

We now have a winner, subject to the usual caveats concerning possible contract award protests…

AMF JTRS: Platforms and Prognosis

AMF JTRS devices will serve as gateways and provide interoperable voice and data communications for more than 160 platform types including fixed and rotary wing aircraft, submarines and surface ships, and fixed stations world-wide. The March 2008 DefenseLINK announcement specifically mentioned the following weapons system/platforms: USN aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines; USMC operated helicopters and fixed wing aircraft; USAF fixed and deployable ground command and control systems; CH-47 Chinook heavy transport helicopters, H-60 Blackhawk family of helicopters, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, MQ-8B Fire Scout Class IV UAVs, and the C-130 Hercules family of tactical transport aircraft.

Priorities and timelines remain closely held, in large part because of the potential for timeline changes stemming from contract award challenges. Boeing has asked the JPEO JTRS office for a debrief, and depending on the results a contract challenge may be filed. If so, the award and fielding dates will be delayed while the protest goes through its various legal steps.

DID has covered the MIDS terminal program, which serves as a vehicle for datalink radios that enable the single group-wide tactical picture offered by Link 16. A MIDS-JTRS program is underway to bring MIDS terminals into the JTRS framework. While MIDS-JTRS is related to AMF JTRS in terms of interoperability and execution, it is a separate program and will be the subject of separate contract awards.

Contracts & Key Events

March 28/08: Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions of Chantilly, VA won a $766.2 million contract to design and develop the Airborne and Maritime/ Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System. The contractor shall develop 42 engineering development models of the small airborne configured system. While the initial engineering development models for the maritime sets will be configured for destroyers and the small airborne sets generically configured, there are options for additional sets configured for additional waveforms and weapons system platforms.

This contract includes an option for low rate initial production of 45 maritime/fixed stations sets and 104 small airborne sets. Additional options allow for additional sets configured for additional communications waveforms and other weapons systems/platforms. At this time $75.2 million has been committed. Hanscom AFB, MA issued the contract (FA8726-08-C-0008). See also Lockheed Martin release.

March 30/07: Boeing announces that its industry team has submitted its bid to design and develop the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Jan 26/07: The U.S. Department of Defense releases its Request For Proposals for system design and development of its Airborne and Maritime/ Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). Source.

Oct 16/06 Boeing announces a successful Delta Preliminary Design Review of its team’s AMF JTRS solution. The review measured the program’s progress on development specifications, system design, architecture, key component technologies and risk reduction, and is designed to confirm that the team is ready to proceed to the System Design and Development phase. Boeing’s AMF JTRS team displayed mockups of their hardware design and demonstrated prototype radios running both legacy voice communications and the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW), which enables Internet-like capabilities. Demonstrations ranged from design and development to manufacturing capacity and planning, supply chain management and Interactive Electronic Technical Manual capabilities. The team also provided a multi-node networking demonstration using virtual and hardware-based radios. The lab-based demonstrations also featured the WNW and Boeing’s Heterogeneous Networking capability with legacy and low latency edge networking using Rockwell’s Tactical Targeting Networking Technologies.

Oct 16/06: Lockheed Martin announces that its AMF JTRS team has successfully completed its Pre-System Design & Development (SDD) efforts 1 month ahead of schedule. The kinds of activities undertaken would be similar to the Boeing efforts above. This ends the 3rd and final phase of the team’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR).

April 3/06: Boeing Co. in Miraloma, CA received a $19.4 million cost plus fixed fee contract, in exchange for continuing program risk reduction and design maturation activities around AMF JTRS. At this time, $3.9 million has been obligated. Work will be complete October 2006. The Headquarters Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA issued the contract (FA8709-04-C-0010/P00013). Boeing release.

March 17/06: Lockheed Martin Corp. in Manassas, VA receives a $20.1 million cost plus fixed fee contract, in exchange for continuing program risk reduction and design maturation activities around AMF JTRS. At this time, $4 million has been obligated. Work will be complete October 2006. The Headquarters Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA issued the contract (FA8709-04-C-0011).

June 7/05: Lockheed Martin announces a successful major system design review on the Airborne, Maritime and Fixed Station (AMF) component of the military’s Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) program. During the review, held from May 17-19/05, the company demonstrated key technologies that comprise the core of its proposed AMF JTRS solution, and laid out its planned architecture and design approach for the system.

Sept 8/04: The Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA issues a pair of cost plus fixed fee contracts for Pre-System Development and Demonstration (Pre-SDD) for the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). This a a preparatory effort designed to scope out the challenges ahead and reduce development risks. The overall objective of the Pre-SDD effort is to design for the overall AMF JTRS, define key requirements and associated system architectures, and identify key platform interface requirements that will minimize platform integration, operation and support, and future technology insertion costs. This modification incorporates increase of signal power, a change in the generation of civilian signal, and testing and other effort required for the attainment of the final design verification milestone.

Solicitations began February 2004, negotiations were complete August 2004, and work will be complete by December 2005. Winners included:

• The Boeing Co., BMC3&SS in Anaheim, CA ($54.6 million, FA8709-04-C-0010). Boeing’s team actually includes Rockwell (radio design, fixed site radio integration and platform integration support); Harris (radio design, information assurance, maritime radio system integration and platform integration activities); L-3 (maritime platform integration, the control and management subsystem, specific airborne integration and airborne network support); Northrop Grumman (network management). BBN and MILCOM (comprehensive, seamless wireless network architecture and maritime installation support).

• Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions in Manassas, VA ($51.4 million, FA8709-04-C-0011). Lockheed Martin’s release describes the program as “potentially worth in excess of $1 billion.” Meanwhile, an April 2004 release describes its team:

“BAE Systems is a leader in advanced software-defined networking communications, and has deep experience with the platform integration of maritime radio communications. Northrop Grumman Space Technology – Radio Systems provides software-defined radios for today’s most advanced aircraft, the F/A-22 and the F-35, while Raytheon, also a provider of airborne radios, led development of the JTRS Software Communications Architecture (SCA). General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leader in secure communications and software-defined radio technology systems that are included in today’s communication radio rooms and also bring significant security architecture and waveform experience. Others, including Thales, Scientific Research Corp., NOVA Engineering and Cisco Systems, Inc., will provide domain expertise.”

Additional Readings

• Lockheed Martin – Airborne and Maritime / Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio Systems

• General Dynamics C4 (Lockheed Martin team) – Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Airborne/ Maritime/ Fixed

• Boeing – Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). See also PDF brochure.