On Monday, April 13, 2026, the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command in San Diego, acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, signed framework agreements with a maximum value of 307,743,354 USD with Data Link Solutions – a joint venture of BAE Systems and Rockwell Collins / Collins Aerospace – and L3Harris Technologies for the production of new Link 16 data transmission terminals, known as MIDS LVTs, and the modernization of existing ones.
Photo: US Navy
The agreements cover Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal (MIDS LVT) Link 16 data transmission terminal kits, deliveries of LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) and SRU (Shop Replaceable Unit) spare parts, Block Upgrade 2 modernization for existing MIDS LVT terminals, as well as engineering and repair services.
The IDIQ (indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity) agreements provide for the award of task orders in 2026–2031 using U.S. Navy operations and maintenance funds, research and development funding, and other sources, as well as Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs, the MIDS International Program Office 6502 (IPO Nations), and funds from other customers.
The work will be carried out in Wayne, New Jersey, for BAE Systems; in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for Collins Aerospace; and in Salt Lake City, Utah, for L3Harris Technologies, and is to be performed during the five-year ordering period.
The MIDS LVT terminal is a tactical Link 16 terminal – a compact, multifunctional radio modem operating in the 960–1215 MHz band that enables the real-time exchange of tactical data among different platforms, including aircraft, ships, air defense systems, command posts, and vehicles. It operates in the Link 16 (TADIL J / IJMS) standard, currently the most secure and jam-resistant tactical data exchange system used by NATO.
MIDS LVT(1) terminals are intended for F-16, F/A-18, F-15, and P-8 aircraft, as well as helicopters. MIDS LVT(2) are ground terminals used, among others, with MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems, Surface-Launched AMRAAM (SLAMRAAM) launchers, and the FAADC2 (Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control System) command system.
The Block Upgrade 2 modernization includes increased throughput from 115.2 kbps to more than 1100 kbps, cryptographic modernization (Cryptographic Modernization Initiative, CMI), and frequency remapping (FR). It also facilitates training and testing in the United States without complex frequency authorization procedures and will provide more modern Ethernet interfaces.