Data Link Solutions awarded $48.3 million to provide MIDS terminals

FARNBOROUGH (July 19, 2004) - Data Link Solutions, a BAE SYSTEMS/Rockwell Collins joint venture, has been awarded a $48.3 million delivery order to provide Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Low Volume Terminals to the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, CA.  The MIDS terminals will provide secure, high capacity, jam resistant voice and data communications capabilities for U.S. and allied forces.  These terminals will be installed on F/A-18, F-16, EA-6B, MH-60, and B-2 Aircraft in the US and aboard a variety of aircraft in Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, and Taiwan.

The DLS order for additional terminals is part of an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract that was awarded in January 2000, and brings the total number of terminals ordered to more than 800 under this contract.  For this award, DLS won 59% of the competitive U.S. requirements based on award selection criteria including terminal price, field performance and support of previously delivered MIDS terminals, and supplier’s delivery past performance.

DLS has delivered over 1,400 MIDS terminals to various domestic and international customers.

Link 16 provides real-time, jam resistant secure transfer of combat data, voice and relative navigation information between widely dispersed battle elements. Participants gain situational awareness by exchanging digital data over a common communication link that is continuously and automatically updated in real time. Each participant in the communication link is able to electronically see the battle space, including assigned targets or threats.

Data Link Solutions MIDS terminals were the first MIDS production terminals to be certified for use and the first to be deployed in operational service on missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.  More than 20 nations have installed/selected Data Link Solutions Link 16 terminals on 25 platforms.

Data Link Solutions was established in 1996 by BAE SYSTEMS and Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) to pursue the next generation Link 16 applications. With a heritage of more than 20 years of design and production experience of over 2,000 systems, Data Link Solutions today is a leading supplier of Link 16 terminals and systems integration, software, logistics and support services for air, land and sea-based platforms. Its product offerings, all Link 16 terminals, include the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) Class 2 family, the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) LVT-1 Low Volume Terminal and MIDS Fighter Data Link (FDL) and the URC-138 U.K. Sea Harrier/Sea King terminal.

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DLS-NR-04