The US Navy has awarded a contract to General Dynamics to support the naval integrated tactical environmental system next-generation (NITES-Next) programme.

NITES-Next uses software to provide the ability to input, store and process meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) data and products on navy mission-planning and command and control (C2) systems.

Under the $67.7m contract, General Dynamics Information Technology will design, develop, integrate, test and support the deployment of NITES-Next.

The system consists of tactical applications, forecaster’s toolkit and data services package. It collects METOC information through organic sensors supporting naval tactical operations while maintaining interoperability with other services.

NITES-Next is a follow-on system to NITES and uses geographic information systems (GIS), supports physics-based modelling and implements an advanced database design.

The five-year contract has been awarded by the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).