Integrated Coast Guard Systems, LLC (ICGS) today issued a Broad Industry Announcement seeking additional innovation for satellite communications to support the Integrated Deepwater System program. Suppliers with new technologies and product capabilities are needed to support the development of a global maritime communication solution to augment and/or replace the U.S. Coast Guard's current INMARSAT-B satellite technology.

ICGS is issuing this Broad Industry Announcement to all potential satellite communications suppliers, including those suppliers previously interviewed at past Deepwater Innovation & Industry Days. Small businesses of all classes are urged to participate.

"Deepwater is a national program, leveraging the expertise of two world leading technology companies backed by nearly 600 suppliers across the globe," said Dr. Leo Mackay, ICGS president. "We are always in search of new vendors who will bring innovation and broad expertise to this vital program and to the Coast Guard."

The global maritime communication solution will give operational Coast Guard forces the capability to transmit and receive information required to develop a maritime domain awareness of an operational area that extends beyond a single platform's sensors. Modernizing these Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or C4ISR, capabilities is a key component of the Deepwater program.

The current INMARSAT-B terminals are capable of supporting 128 Kbps sustained data rates. ICGS intends to replace the Coast Guard's current INMARSAT-B satellite technology with a faster and more cost efficient technology and service. The Coast Guard is seeking new technology that supports data rates greater than 256 Kbps and offers future growth capacity to 1 Mbps within the next five years. The new service(s) will need to provide the maximum coverage of the earth's surface with global and or spot beam coverage, primarily focused on the Pacific and Atlantic oceans regions and Alaska.

Under its open business model, ICGS has and will continuously review new products, services, and capabilities with the goal of providing to the Coast Guard best-of-market solutions that bring innovative capabilities to the fleet at a best value cost to the taxpayer. Through its major subcontractors, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, ICGS will engage suppliers that offer products and services to accomplish that goal.

Response to this announcement via registration on the ICGS Web site (link below) will be used to identify potential suppliers for an invitation to the Innovation & Industry Days 2005 conference hosted by ICGS, now planned for November 15-16, 2005, in Miami, Fla.

The deadline to register for this new opportunity at Innovation & Industry Days 2005 is 5 p.m. EDT, Oct. 21.

More detailed information and a supplier registration form are available online at: http://www.teamdeepwater.com/.

About Integrated Deepwater System

IDS is a critical multi-year, multi-billion-dollar program to modernize and replace the Coast Guard's aging ships and aircraft, and improve command and control and logistics systems. It is the largest recapitalization effort in the history of the Coast Guard. When complete, the interoperable IDS system will include three classes of new cutters and their associated small boats, a new fixed-wing manned aircraft fleet, upgraded helicopters, and both cutter- based and land-based unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). All of these highly capable assets are linked by Command, Control, Communications and Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems, and are supported by an efficient and progressive integrated logistics system.

About Integrated Coast Guard Systems

ICGS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman . ICGS was awarded the Deepwater contract in June 2002. Headquartered in Rosslyn, Va., core leadership teams are located in Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.

SOURCE: Integrated Coast Guard Systems, LLC