DRS Technologies has announced that the DRS Tactical Systems business unit received a cost-plus fixed-fee award for the development of an ultra-rugged handheld device for the US Army’s Joint Battle Command – Platform (JBC-P) programme.

The company received the order from the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC). As one of two companies selected for this contract, DRS will develop a solution for dismounted situational awareness requirements for soldiers and marines that is interoperable with the current force XXI battle command brigade and below (FBCB2) and blue force tracking (BFT) system.

As part of the requirement, the handheld system must include an ultra-rugged computing device, software, suite B security, and have the ability to support various communications solutions in order to receive and send friendly force position location and provide communication capability to and from soldiers and marines.

DRS Tactical Systems located in Melbourne, Florida, will design and manufacture the systems with initial prototype deliveries scheduled for September, 2011.

“We are pleased in being selected to develop a system that puts critical network connectivity and situational awareness right in the hands of our soldiers and marines,” said Mike Sarrica, Vice President and General Manager of DRS Tactical Systems.

“This programme will demonstrate the advantage of a government-industry team that leverages the speed, cost-effectiveness and innovations of the commercial market, and makes them available as a capability to meet the mission command requirements of joint battle command –platform.”

DRS Tactical Systems is a global leader in ultra rugged, commercial-off-the-shelf-based computers, displays & embedded workstations, handheld devices, tablet computers, and integrated peripheral products. The products of this DRS group have been incorporated into the US Army’s FBCB2 programme, the US Army’s movement tracking systems (MTS) programme, the US Army’s common hardware/software II and III programme, and the United Kingdom’s Bowman integrated battlefield communications system programme.