L3 Technologies Awarded $22.6 Million Air Force Radio Repair Contract

The Salt Lake City work will repair MIDS LVT and JTRS tactical communications gear through August 2031, with Foreign Military Sales to various countries under a sole-source deal.

First Published: August 4, 2026, 1:26 PM ET

L3 Technologies Inc., a major U.S. defense electronics supplier, received a $22.6 million Air Force contract to repair tactical communications terminals used by American and allied forces, as announced on war.gov.

The indefinite-delivery deal carries a maximum ceiling of $22.6 million and covers the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal and Joint Tactical Radio System equipment. Work will run at Salt Lake City, Utah, and finish by August 2, 2031. The Air Force obligated no funds at award and structured the deal as a sole-source acquisition, according to war.gov. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, in San Antonio, Texas, serves as the contracting activity under contract number FA8307-26-D-B001.

“These changes are painful but necessary,” the Air Force did not issue a public statement on the award. The contract involves Foreign Military Sales to various countries, tying the repair work to allied militaries that field the same datalink and radio hardware. MIDS LVT terminals and JTRS radios form the backbone of secure, jam-resistant battlefield communication. The systems let aircraft, ships and ground units share position and targeting data over the Link 16 network, sustaining readiness for U.S. and partner forces.

The award marks the sixth contract handed to L3 Technologies in 2026, lifting the company’s total contract value for the year to $827 million, according to war.gov. It is also the sixth Department of Defense contract awarded in Utah during 2026. The deal falls short of the company’s record award of $587.4 million, yet it sits inside an Air Force portfolio that has ranged from $17 to $5.6 billion year to date, according to war.gov. Eight Department of Defense contracts reached companies nationwide on August 4, 2026, and the L3 award ranks as a mid-tier sustainment deal rather than a headline procurement. For most Americans, the contract carries no direct cost at signing, since the Air Force obligated no money at award. The spending supports skilled electronics and engineering jobs in Salt Lake City and channels U.S. defense dollars toward equipment that allied nations buy through the Foreign Military Sales program.

Repair and sustainment contracts like this one recur across the defense industry. Indefinite-delivery vehicles let the military order repairs as terminals fail, spreading the ceiling value across years rather than a single purchase. The five-year window through 2031 follows the standard pattern for such maintenance agreements. The next decision point rests with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center in San Antonio, which will issue individual delivery orders as repair needs arise. A specific date for the first order has not been announced.

Tactical datalinks have shaped military coordination for decades, as older systems gave way to networked terminals. The Link 16 standard traces to Cold War efforts in the 1970s to knit fighters, ships and command posts into a shared picture. Successive contractors carried the hardware forward through repeated upgrades and repairs. The firms that secured those sustainment roles built lasting positions in allied communications programs.

This contract represents the 6th contract awarded to L3 Technologies Inc., in 2026, bringing the company’s total contract value for the year to $827,004,905. It is also the 6th Department of Defense contract awarded in Utah during 2026. While this is not the largest contract ever awarded to L3 Technologies Inc., whose record stands at $587,386,007, it is notable within the Air Force portfolio. Specifically, it falls between the 2026 Air Force portfolio’s year-to-date minimum of $17 and maximum of $5,600,000,000. Overall, this award was announced among 8 Department of Defense contracts issued nationwide on August 4, 2026.