Navy chooses Astronics Test Systems to build radio signal-routing systems for submarine fleet
NEWPORT, R.I., 2 April 2015.Radio communications experts at Astronics Test Systems are building on-board systems that route signals and information among various antennas and communications systems aboard U.S. Navy submarines.
Officials of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I., announced a $36.4 million contract Wednesday to Astronics Test Systems Inc. in Irvine, Calif., to build Radio Frequency Distribution and Control Systems (RFDACS) for the Navy's submarine fleet.
RFDACS a major subsystem within the common submarine radio room installed on board all classes of Navy ballistic missile and fast-attack submarines. The RFDACS provides a means of routing signals and information between the various antenna systems and other submarine communication subsystems.
RFDACS replaces point-to-point wiring of RF and control signals, and provides modular architecture for hardware and software for simplified expansion or modification of the system.
Astronics Test Systems is formerly the EADS North America Test and Services division. Astronics Corp. in East Aurora, N.Y., acquired the EADS North America Test and Services division last year for $53 million.
Related: Navy chooses VXI backplanes from Tracewell Systems for submarine communications routing
Astronics Test Systems specializes in automatic test systems, subsystems and instruments for the defense, commercial aerospace, semiconductor, and consumer electronics industries.
One subsystems provider to the Navy RFDACS system is Tracewell Systems Inc. in Westerville, Ohio, which provides high-performance 11-slot VXI backplanes for the RFDACS.
Installed within a rugged mainframe, the Tracewell Systems backplane provides power distribution and signal interconnect for the precision VXI test instrumentation within the system, and provides signal and power distribution.
On the contract announced Wednesday, Astronics Test Systems will do the work in Irvine, Calif., and should be finished by March 2020. For more information contact Astronics Test Systems online at http://astronicstestsystems.com, Tracewell Systems at www.tracewell.com, or the Naval Undersea Warfare Center-Newport at www.navsea.navy.mil/nuwc/newport.
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.
