MIDS-LVT block Upgrade 2 retrofit order awarded to Viasat
NewsJuly 25, 2018
CARLSBAD, Calif. Telecommunications company Viasat has won a six-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract from the U.S. government -- valued at up to $85.5 million -- for Block Upgrade 2 (BU2) hardware and software upgrades and support services to their Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) Link 16 radio sets.
The order will provide modernized Link 16 communications capability for U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and selected Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Viasat materials say that Link 16 provides real-time situational awareness and jam-resistant communications across all types of air, sea, and ground platforms in nearly fifty coalition countries, which enables communications interoperability and real-time exchange of battlespace information, thereby increasing mission effectiveness and warfighter safety.
MIDS-LVT is the basis of the Link 16 network across the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the international coalition. The newly added BU2 capabilities ensure that MIDS-LVT terminals remain interoperable with platforms that use other modernized Link 16 terminals, such as the MIDS Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) family of terminals and Viasat's Small Tactical Terminal and Handheld Link 16 radios.
