[Satellite TODAY 04-26-10] Harris Corp. received a two-year, $18 million follow-on contract from ViaSat to supply additional hardware to be integrated into military Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals, Harris announced April 23.
    Harris will provide ViaSat with an enhanced voice card, power supply assemblies, processor modules and the chassis for each of the terminals as well as performenvironmental testing of the completed assemblies for ViaSat’s MIDS Low Volume Terminal.
    The follow-on award brings the overall value of Harris’ contract with ViaSat, initiated in 2000, to $192 million. Harris is supporting ViaSat in its contract with the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command for full-rate production of various models of MIDS terminals.
    The terminals aim to provide interoperable data communications that link fighter aircraft to airborne controllers, surveillance radars, collection assets and ground-based command and control nodes in near real-time.