The U.S. military's command-and-control system for joint and multi-national operations is to continue to be modernized and sustained by Northrop Grumman.

The Defense Information Systems Agency extended Northrop's work on the Global Command and Control System-Joint contract through a contract option worth $53 million, Northrop Grumman said.

"As part of DISA's modernization plan, we are optimizing GCCS-J for the joint and coalition environment, designing a globally accessible C2 data fabric and streamlining the system," said Mike Twyman, vice president and general manager, defense systems division, Northrop Grumman Information Systems. "The effort will continue to enhance the value and operations of this critical component of the nation's defense."

GCCS-J provides all levels of command with worldwide connectivity and integrates various systems for situational awareness and intelligence. Northrop announced receipt of contract to modernize and sustain the Department of Defense system in March of last year and since then has completed crucial modules for information sharing across different security level and other tasks.