Harris [HRS] said it has received orders totaling $18 million for Falcon III® manpack and handheld tactical radios from the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) during the second quarter of fiscal 2014. 

SOCOM is acquiring more Falcon III AN/PRC-117G and AN/PRC-152A radios as it expands deployment of a SOCOM-accredited wideband tactical communications network, the company said in a Jan. 20 statement. The network enables operators to send and receive tactical voice, video and data, resulting in enhanced situational awareness and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). In addition to advanced wideband data networking, the AN/PRC-117G and AN/PRC-152A provide users with interoperability through legacy narrowband waveforms.

“Harris Falcon III wideband radio systems are delivering the tactical Internet to the battlefield,’’ said George Helm, president, Department of Defense business unit, Harris RF Communications. “This new network is opening up a world of new combat applications, such as collaborative chat, biometric enrollments, video conferencing and video ISR. These are next-generation capabilities, delivered today, using a proven commercial business model that thrives on competition and innovation.”