BAE Systems yesterday said its Phoenix-2C radios successfully provided tactical networking capabilities during recent Army exercises, allowing soldiers to communicate more than 20 kilometers, double the mid-tier network requirement.
Fully interoperable with other Joint Tactical Radio Systems currently in use, the Phoenix radios were tested earlier this month at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.
The exercises were designed to begin assessing candidate capabilities for mid-tier networking radios (MTNR) and were part of an excursion linked to Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 13.1. The excursion will provide feedback to the Army as it moves through its mid-tier radio candidate assessments.
The biannual series of NIEs such as 13.1 support comprehensive Army modernization plans to support a synchronized vehicle and network fielding strategy that prioritizes capabilities for deployed forces and improves alignment of limited resources.
“The next phase of testing for our Phoenix radios will be the Source Selection Performance Demonstration (SSPD) for MNVR, which will be conducted from January through March 2013,” Christopher Ager, product line director for Networked Communications at BAE Systems, told Defense Daily.
Also, the Phoenix radios were selected for NIE 13.2 lab testing and are being considered for field-based risk reduction at Ft. Dix, N.J., Ager said.
Joseph Senftle, vice president and general manager of Communications and Control Solutions at BAE, said: “We have developed a radio that gives our soldiers a critical advantage, by seamlessly, securely, and reliably bridging the communications gap between the soldiers on the ground–both on the front lines and in the rear–and those at headquarters.”
With Phoenix radios, soldiers can communicate voice, data, and video for increased battlefield awareness. The high-throughput family of radios includes three variants that allow for multiple configurations–a two-channel with SINGCARS, a two-channel, and a four-channel that each uses the next-generation, government-owned Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) and Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW).
With the robust WNW, all Phoenix variants provide full anti-jam modes to protect communications in hostile environments and when using jammers such as CREW. This off-the-shelf radio system offers a low size, weight, and power design that integrates easily into the SINGCARS radio space already allotted on Army ground combat vehicles
Phoenix radios are currently in the NSA certification process, Ager said, and are on track to complete in the fourth quarter of 2013, which supports MNVR delivery requirements in January 2014.