TAMPA, Fla. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — February 19, 2015 — Exelis ( NYSE: XLS) has been awarded a $10.7 million contract by the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency ( DARPA) to develop a new multifunctional chip for airborne radio applications. The contract is part of an overall effort to enable secure communications and keep battlefield networks ahead of emerging electronic threats.
Click to tweet: Rethinking secure communications: DARPA selects Exelis to develop next generation radio chip
Along with improving the security and jam-resistance of airborne radio communications, the Exelis chip will pioneer a new architecture known as “interface awareness,” which aims to improve the standardization of radio subsystems and allow radio components to be re-engineered to meet different requirements without the need to develop entire systems.
“Current limitations in radio architectures pose a challenge to effective and secure communications, especially as electronic threats become more sophisticated,” said Mark Adams, vice president and general manager of the Exelis specialty applications business. “By focusing on modularity and multifunctionality, we are committed to keeping communications capabilities at the cutting edge.”
DARPA’s Communications in Contested Environments program is intended to challenge the current state of the art in military radios, while promoting a new way of thinking about emerging threats. Using this approach, the new Exelis chip should help reduce overall engineering costs in radio production and tackle existing limitations, such as those that prevent information from being shared and networked at both the local and global levels.
For decades, Exelis has helped pioneer and develop technologies that enable secure, reliable communications for domestic and international military customers.
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About Exelis
Exelis is a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense, information and services company that leverages a 50-year legacy of deep customer knowledge and technical expertise to deliver affordable, mission-critical solutions for global customers. Exelis is a leader in positioning and navigation, sensors, air traffic management solutions, image processing and distribution, communications and information systems; and focused on strategic growth in the areas of critical networks, ISR and analytics, electronic warfare and composite aerostructures. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Exelis employs approximately 10,000 people and generated 2014 sales of approximately $3.25 billion. For more information, visit our website at www.exelisinc.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
