Army awards $72 million contract to DataPath

The Army Communications-Electronics Command at Fort Monmouth, N.J., has awarded global communications company DataPath a $72.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide specialized satellite earth terminals and support services for the Army’s Joint Network Node (JNN) program. That program provides portable communications to the U.S. Joint Forces in Iraq, including the Army’s 3rd Infantry, 101st Airborne, 4th Infantry and 10th Mountain divisions.

DataPath will provide an additional 92 ET 3000 portable satellite earth terminals for secure, robust voice, video and data communications in areas where no infrastructure exists. The company has deployed 140 DataPath 3000s to Iraq since 2004.

The DataPath 3000 is a compact, trailer-based satellite earth terminal that provides secure, robust voice, video and data communications in locations where no other infrastructure exists.

The contract includes two DataPath DKET 4530Ku Mobiles, which the Army calls Unit Hub Satcom trucks.

As part of the contract, DataPath will broaden its training, operations and maintenance support for the JNN program by adding an additional 29 contract employees. They will train with U.S. forces and then deploy with them to the theater of operations to help manage and optimize communications networks.

The Duluth, Ga.-based company’s Integrated Logistics Support team has more than 50 employees in the JNN program in Iraq.