Rockwell Collins To Provide GPS Receivers For GB-GRAM Program

Cedar Rapids, IO -- The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command (C-E LCMC) has selected Rockwell Collins to supply Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers for the Ground-Based GPS Receiver Application Module (GB-GRAM) program. This five-year base contract and an additional five-year option represent a total potential contract value of more than $300 million. The government has already placed an initial $14 million order for GB-GRAM units.

"This win solidifies our position as the U.S. Army standard in the embedded GPS receiver market for the next 10 years," said Ron Hornish, vice president and general manager of Sensor Systems for Rockwell Collins. "Our past performance has established Rockwell Collins as the trusted provider of GPS products to our military customers."

Activities such as mapping, situational awareness, search and rescue operations, rendezvous operations, and geodetic surveying have all benefited from the accuracy of GPS. In recent conflicts, GPS-aided Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) using GB-GRAM have shown reconnaissance and surveillance accuracy, resulting in improved military capability while providing for efficient deployment of force into hostile environments.

GB-GRAM incorporates the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) security device and fulfills a GPS Wing initiative to migrate to an open system architecture for ground-based embedded military applications. Under the GB-GRAM contract, Rockwell Collins is providing a low-cost, 12-channel Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver Engine SAASM (MPE™-S) as a small, lightweight, third-generation GPS receiver.

The MPE-S offers geolocation and precise positioning capabilities for military navigation, tactical communications and battlefield computing requirements. Additional features include the ability to reprogram the unit in the field, dual frequencies, direct-Y acquisition and extended jamming protection.

SOURCE: Rockwell Collins