Leonardo DRS Wins Contract to Provide Portable SATCOM System for U.S. Navy Ships

The contract was awarded by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division for a single system with up to ten systems acquired in future years.

Designed and manufactured by Leonardo DRS’s Airborne & Intelligence Systems business unit, SCOSS provides a secure network connection from stem-to-stern on large and small naval vessels.  It provides continuous service on wideband satellite networks that compensates for blocked shipboard network issues. The system can be moved off-ship for use on ground vehicles to provide continuous high bandwidth communication in the most demanding environments.

“We are proud to provide this multi-domain satellite communications technology to customers with critical communications needs in the most austere operational conditions,” said Larry Ezell, vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS’s Airborne & Intelligence Systems business unit.  “Leonardo DRS looks forward to continue its support with our U.S. Navy customer in the future,” Ezell said.

The SCOSS can transmit and receive at data rates up to 6 MB per second using both commercial Ku or X-band frequencies. The Leonardo DRS X-band variant is certified for operation on the Paradigm, XTAR and WGS satellite constellations.

The system’s lightweight, compact, and easily transportable design allows for easy setup and operation within 30 minutes of boarding a ship. Its two terminals connect via an RF convergence box, which automatically manages the antenna while maintaining continuous modem lock on the move.

The SCOSS is scheduled for customer delivery in 2019.

About Leonardo DRS

Leonardo DRS is a prime contractor, leading technology innovator and supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and defense contractors worldwide. The company specializes in a wide range of electro-optical/infrared systems, naval and maritime systems, ground combat mission command and network computing, global satellite communications and network infrastructure, avionics systems, and intelligence and security solutions. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Leonardo DRS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leonardo S.p.A., which employs more than 45,000 people worldwide. See the full range of capabilities at www.leonardodrs.com and on Twitter @drstechnologies.