JTRS networking terminal to enter limited production

The next-generation military radio communications technology known as the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) has been approved to begin limited production of a new terminal that will help deliver advanced radio communication capabilities to ground forces, the Navy announced Jan. 11.

The announcement marks a milestone as the JTRS initiative’s first software-defined networking terminal to clear the gauntlet of security verification testing and operational assessment and move into limited production, the Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) for JTRS said in a statement.

Before MIDS JTRS can be fielded, it will have to pass National Security Agency certification, operational testing and then enter the final production phase. It will work with the Link-16 waveform, include Link-16-enhanced throughput and frequency mapping, and will be information assurance modification-ready, according to JPEO-JTRS.

The program is on track to enter initial operational test and evaluation by the third quarter of fiscal 2010, JTRS said.

In the course of the limited production, 41 terminals will be built for Air Force and Navy platforms, including the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

The JTRS program evolved from the military’s need to replace legacy radio systems and the modern operational requirements for secure, wireless and integrated communications across forces, networks and platforms, all linked to the Global Information Grid.