Harris [HRS] has received a $12 million order from the Marine Corps for upgrades to Falcon III AN/VRC-110 multiband, multimode vehicular tactical radio systems, the company said.
The company will provide upgrade kits to the Marines to convert existing 20-watt AN/VRC-110 systems to 50-watt systems. This enhancement will allow users to establish voice and data links over wider distances and improve the reliability of secure tactical communications over rough terrain, according to Harris.
The AN/VRC-110 is a fully integrated, high-performance multiband vehicular radio system, consisting of an amplifier adapter and two JTRS-approved Falcon IIIr AN/PRC-152(C) multiband handheld radios, which serve as handheld transceivers. The AN/VRC-110 enables warfighters to maintain communications in dismount operations by allowing the AN/PRC-152(C) handheld radios to be quickly removed while remaining powered on. The system’s “jerk-and-run” capabilities in combination with its reliable long-range performance have proven the AN/VRC-110 highly-valuable to end users in Iraq and Afghanistan, Harris said.
The combat-proven AN/PRC-152(C) is the most widely fielded JTRS-approved handheld radio with more than 100,000 units deployed. It provides advanced capabilities such as SINCGARS interoperability, ultra high-frequency (UHF) ground-to-ground line-of-sight communications, close-air support and programmable encryption. The AN/PRC-152 radio has an optional “high-band” capability that provides an increased frequency range ideal for interoperability with civilian law enforcement and public safety officials.
The Falcon III AN/VRC-110 multiband, multimode vehicular tactical radio systems has followed the U.S. military’s Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program’s Enterprise Business Model (EBM) and operates on the JTRS Software Communications Architecture, Harris said.