06:55 GMT, April 30, 2009 FALLS CHURCH, Va. | Raytheon Company received a $16.5 million U.S. Navy contract to migrate the current Tactical Control System (TCS) to a Linux-based operating system and add upgrades to the system software.

"From the inception of TCS, the Navy's vision has been to develop a common unmanned aircraft ground system for multiple platforms," U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Dunigan said. "Taking TCS to the next level is a major priority for the Navy."

The contract extension will add other key capabilities, including upgrading software to control the radar and adding a universal hand control. In addition, the contract will provide support to TCS integration and testing leading to operational evaluation on the MQ-8B Fire Scout program. The Navy plans to conduct an operational evaluation on the Fire Scout with Northrop Grumman this summer.

TCS provides the Navy with an advanced unmanned aircraft system control and enables operators to train and operate on one system to simultaneously control multiple unmanned aircraft and payloads. The TCS system has been confirmed by the NATO STANAG (Standardization Agreement) Committee as being STANAG-4586 conformed and is the only unmanned system command and control software owned by the U.S. government.