Harris Receives $85 Million Tactical Radio Contract
By Space Coast Daily // December 28, 2012
U.S. Air Force Upgrades Ground Communications
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Harris Corporation has been awarded an $85 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide the U.S. Air Force with Falcon multiband manpack tactical radios and accessories.
In conjunction with the contract, Harris RF Communications of Melbourne, also received initial delivery orders of $33 million.
The Air Force will deploy the Falcon III AN/PRC-117G across ground units to serve as its next-generation radio platform for tactical voice and wideband data communications.
The AN/PRC-117G will provide the Air Force with seamless connectivity to the Global Information Grid in support of a range of existing and emerging network-enabled missions.
“The Air Force will modernize its tactical communications around the wideband AN/PRC-117G, providing its personnel with enhanced situational awareness, ISR and command and control capabilities,” said George Helm, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. “This new IDIQ will allow the Air Force to address both current JTRS requirements as well as emerging interoperability requirements through an affordable, upgradeable, combat-proven platform. The USAF is rapidly advancing its tactical radio modernization program, taking full advantage of the JTRS-Certified AN/PRC-117G manpack radio available today.”
The Falcon III AN/PRC-117G is the world’s most widely fielded next-generation radio, combining line-of-sight, beyond-line-of-sight and wideband communications capabilities in a single lightweight package.
It provides enhanced situational awareness of the battlefield by connecting warfighters to the Tactical Internet.
Harris has shipped more than 25,000 AN/PRC-117G radios to all branches of the U.S. military as well as over a dozen allies including Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Poland and several other countries in NATO.
The radio is combat proven and exhaustively tested in field exercises, laboratory environments and has been employed as a secure wideband tactical networking radio in Operation Enduring Freedom since 2009.
Harris RF communications is the leading global supplier of secure radio communications and embedded high-grade encryption solutions for military, government and commercial organizations.
The company’s Falcon®family of software-defined tactical radio systems encompasses manpack, handheld and vehicular applications. Falcon III is the next generation of radios supporting the U.S. military’s Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) requirements, as well as network-centric operations worldwide.
Harris RF Communications is also a leading supplier of assured communications® systems and equipment for public safety, utility and transportation markets — with products ranging from the most advanced IP voice and data networks to portable and mobile single- and multiband radios.
