Raytheon has been awarded an $84 million contract to produce upgrade kits for its secure mobile anti-jam reliable tactical terminal, or SMART-T, for the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, Canada and the Netherlands. The advanced extremely high-frequency (AEHF) kits will raise, by a factor of four, the data rate of existing SMART-T systems.

The Army's SMART-T is said to be the first AEHF system to go into production with the proven capability to communicate with the next generation of AEHF communications satellites. AEHF is the Department of Defense's primary system for providing highly protected satellite communications through 2020. More than 300 SMART-T systems have been fielded to date.

The AEHF upgrade incorporates Raytheon's eXtended data rate (XDR) waveform hardware and software modifications. The increased bandwidth of the new XDR waveform will enhance tactical military communications, such as real-time video, battlefield mapping and targeting.

The company's non-proprietary SMART-T software has been the genesis for other critical programs including Raytheon's proposed solution for the Navy's multiband terminal. It provides the services with essential, joint interoperable capability for legacy EHF and future AEHF communications. Canada and the Netherlands will receive an AEHF-only version of the terminal. Production will be performed at Raytheon's Largo, Fla., facility.

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