Raytheon has been awarded a $32 million contract for secure radio links.
Raytheon will provide Link Level Communication Security 7M (LLC 7M) encryptors for Lind 22 tactical radios, according to a company news release. The contract includes a five-year base period valued at $32 million, with a five-year option that would bring the value to $63 million.
The LLC7M is being developed under a contract with the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), as part of the NATO Improved Link Eleven (NILE) project, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.
The LLC 7M has received the National Security Agency's only Type 1 certification for protection of information classified up to the Secret level in the Link 22 environment. Link 22 replaces the legacy Link 11 radio system, and is interoperable with the current Link 16 system.
"With the signing of the LLC 7M production contract, and its ability to seamlessly integrate with Link 16, the Link 22 system is now ready for prime time," said Chuck Schwartz, project manager for SPAWAR's NILE project office. "We expect the system to eventually be adopted by more than 30 allied nations."
Michael Peck is a correspondent for Defense News and a columnist for the Center for European Policy Analysis. He holds an M.A. in political science from Rutgers University. Find him on X at @Mipeck1. His email is mikedefense1@gmail.com.
