Harris Corporation Awarded $130 Million Antenna Contract for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series Program

MELBOURNE, Fla., July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has been selected to provide the ground antenna system for a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program that will enable receipt and processing of weather data 40 times faster than today, as well as delivery of weather images directly to end users.  

Under the 10-year, $130 million contract, Harris and its teammates – General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies and ARES – will supply antennas and control systems for NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R) program.  The antennas will provide communications links for command, telemetry and sensor data, as well as the communications link to direct data users.

The contract includes design, fabrication, and testing of six new 16.4-meter antennas and upgrading four 9.1-meter antennas.  The 16.4-meter antennas will be installed at the NOAA Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station in Wallops, Virginia, and a remote backup site in Fairmont, West Virginia.  The new antennas will be built to withstand sustained winds of 110 mph and gusts of up to 140 mph.  Upgrade of the 9.1-meter antennas will take place at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland.  

The new antennas will operate with next-generation GOES-R satellites and will be compatible with existing GOES-N through GOES-P satellites.  The antennas are designed to operate continuously for the life of the GOES-R program.  

Harris also is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the 10-year, $736 million GOES-R Ground Segment (GOES-R GS) program, which was awarded in May 2009.  As part of that program, the Harris team is designing, developing, and maintaining the ground segment, and will provide command and control of the GOES-R operational satellites.  The GOES-R GS will receive and process — in real time — the vast quantities of weather and environmental data streamed by weather satellites to the new GOES-R antenna system, and will distribute these highly accurate and timely products to direct users.  The new weather products will significantly improve the ability of forecasters to more accurately predict dangerous weather and, in turn, warn the public faster.

"Harris is at the forefront of innovative, highly reliable antenna design, and we are excited to add this capability to what we are already contributing to the GOES-R GS program," said Ray Thorpe, vice president, GOES-R Program, Harris Government Communications Systems.  "This new contract adds a key element to the advanced weather prediction system that will help safeguard the public."  

Harris is a recognized leader in satellite ground data processing and mission command-and-control systems. The company's ground data processing systems consist of complex suites of hardware and software that receive sensor data from satellites, turning it into useable information.  The company's command-and-control systems feature commercial-off-the-shelf design and high levels of flexibility. Designed for government and commercial applications, they support single-satellite missions, as well as some of the largest and most complex satellite fleets deployed today.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.  Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.  Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.  Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about the expected value of the program to Harris are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Harris Corporation