Navy chooses NTDS networking gear from X-COM for land-based Aegis weapon test sites
DAHLGREN, Va., 17 Oct. 2013. U.S. Navy surface warfare experts needed Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) shipboard networking components to support the Aegis shipboard combat system at land-based test sites. They found their solution from X-COM Systems LLC in Reston, Va.
Officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Dahlgren, Va., have announced plans to award an estimated $6 million contract to X-COM for NTDS digital switching, fiber optic extender assemblies, and subassemblies for Aegis system testing and support.
X-COM will provide the company's XPS-32 32-port switch, XPS-CPU-M CPU card for multiple-chassis networking, the XPS-CMS-A NTDS Type A channel line card and connector module, the XPS-CMS-B NTDS Type B channel line card and connector module, the MPS-32 32-port low level serial switch, the MPS-CPU-M CPU card for multiple-chassis networking, and the NN-CAB-19 19-inch rack cabinet under terms of the upcoming contract.
The contract will call for X-COM to provide as many as 16 XPS-32 units, 16 XPS-CPU-M units, 20 XPS-CMS-A units, 40 XPS-CMS-B units, 16 MPS-32 units, 16 MPS-CPU-M units, and 10 NN-CAB-19 units.
This equipment will support existing X-COM switching hardware including parallel and serial switches, and parallel and serial fiber optic interface extenders for NTDS electrical interfaces for Aegis support.
Navy officials are choosing X-COM gear sole-source to support interchangeability with existing in-line hardware components at different land-based test sites, Navy officials say. The necessary equipment is not available from any other source.
The Navy has been using this kind of X-COM equipment since 1998, the company uses proprietary technology for fiber optic conversion and multiplexing, and this kind of technology is being phased out of use, which leaves limited motivation for outside competition, Navy officials say.
For more information contact X-COM online at www.xcomsystems.com, or the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren at www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
