TCS Continues U.S. Military WWSS Program Success with $139.8 Million Order

[Satellite TODAY Insider 09-07-11] TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) was the sole winner of a $139.8 million delivery order to provide Wireless Point to Point Link (WPPL) systems, field support engineers, associated in-theater programs, and ancillary equipment to the U.S. Department of Defense, TCS announced Sept. 6.  
   The order was issued under the U.S. Army Project Manager for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (PM WIN-T) Commercial Satellite Terminal Program (CSTP) procurement structure through the Army’s $5 billion World-Wide Satellite Systems (WWSS) contract vehicle.   
   TCS initially received $17.6 million in funding under the same program to provide hardware and field services support to the U.S. Marine Corps. The TCS hardware and services were designated to assist military personnel in the setup, configuration, alignment, operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, repair and upgrades of existing WPPL-D systems at various locations. 
   The TCS WPPL-D system was designed to secure point-to-point and point-to-multipoint, line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight transmission of voice, video, and data communications. WPPL aims to enable the Marines to close the gap on the “last digital mile,” and upgrade data network services by using a low-cost alternative to beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications, which tend to be more expensive.
   “In today’s theater of operation, information is often the most powerful weapon at our warfighters’ disposal,” TCS Senior Vice President and General Manager of Government Solutions Michael Bristol said in a statement. “Combining satellite, wireless, and advanced network engineering services with in-theater facilities and staff, TCS ILS quickly and cost-effectively supplements the military’s support requirements in the installation and maintenance of communications networks around the globe.”
   TCS has enjoyed recent success under U.S. military procurement programs. Last month, the company was awarded a $5 million blanket purchase agreement to provide consulting, information technology and support services to the Army through January 2013. That agreement allowed TCS to bid on task orders for IT service management, network services, data center management, distributed computing and application management through a performance-based service management and delivery framework.
   In Early August, TCS received an 11-month extension to its WWSS indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. The contract, initially issued as a five-year, $5 billion award in 2006, was scheduled to expire at the end of August. TCS said the ordering period under the WWSS contract would now be extended through July 27, 2012, with all deliveries required by Aug. 28, 2012.