[Satellite Today 04-24-09] Harris Corp. was awarded a 10-year (five-year base contract with five additional option years), $600 million contract from the U.S. Army to provide next-generation military satellite communications terminals developed for the Army’s Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program, Harris announced April 23.
    Harris will develop, test and certify four unique terminal configurations during a 30-month test phase and provide production hardware and support to field activities such as site preparation, installation, test, operations, and maintenance.
    The company is also contracted to replace up to eighty AN/GSC-52, AN/GSC-39, AN/FSC-78 and other aging strategic satellite communications terminals around the world with new, simultaneous X- and Ka-band terminals capable of interfacing with the new Wideband Global Satellite constellation as well as with legacy satellite systems. The new terminals will support IP and dedicated circuit connectivity for the warfighter.
    The hardware involved in the upgrade includes various fixed ground terminal configurations, a transportable terminal and a small terminal suitable for rooftop mounting. In cooperation with Harris, General Dynamics will develop the X-band antenna feed as well as a dual/simultaneous X- and Ka-band antenna feed capable of meeting the stringent requirements for low intermodulation products.