Northrop to Prototype Airborne Data Link System

​Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California has been awarded a $22,028,188 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a research project under the 100 Gb/s RF backbone (100G) Phase 2 program. Building on work that was performed under Phase 1 of the program, the contractor will develop and test an integrated prototype airborne datalink system that leverages state-of-the-art advances in high-order modulation, spatial multiplexing and other power and spectral efficiency technologies to achieve program goals. Fiscal 2015 research and development funds in the amount of $8,771,476 are being obligated at the time of award. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California (52.5 percent); Rancho Cucamonga, California (29.9 percent); Los Angeles (15.1 percent); and Mojave, California (2.5 percent) with an estimated completion date of March 2017. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-15-C-0135).