The Army awarded Harris Corp. [HRS] a $26.7 million order to provide upgraded Falcon III AN/PRC-117G tactical radios and accessories that will enable the broader use and application of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW), the company said in a statement.
Harris will deliver the AN/PRC-117G upgrades “around July,” a company spokesman said yesterday in an email.
The AN/PRC-117G is the only full-production radio certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) for Type-1 implementation SRW on the battlefield. Developed by the JTRS program, SRW is a Defense Department voice and data waveform standard used to extend battlefield internet protocol (IP) networks to the tactical edge, the company said.
“This order will accelerate and broaden the development of SRW, which is a key component in DoD’s transition to a network battlefield,” said George Helm, president of the DoD business unit for Harris’ RF communications division. “Harris is leading the way in porting, testing, certifying and deploying SRW systems, both in the AN/PRC-117G manpack and, shortly, the AN/PRC-152A wideband handheld radio.”
The AN/PRC-152A provides simultaneous voice and high-speed data services on the move, the company said. Harris expects certification for Type-1 implementation of SRW in the AN/PRC-152A in early summer, a spokesman said.
The deal comes via the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Federal Acquisition Services (FAS) Assisted Acquisition Services, the company said.
Harris has shipped more than 20,000 AN/PRC-117G radios to all branches of the United States military as well as several NATO allies, it said.
The AN/PRC-117G provides a platform that can be upgraded and allows the addition of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities such as video. The AN/PRC-117G also enables soldiers on and out of vehicles to communicate via voice, video and data in real time (Defense Daily, May 31).