Harris Corp. has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a potential total value of $400 million to provide the U.S. Special Operations Command with next-generation communication capabilities.
The new five-year IDIQ contract enables the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to acquire the Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-117G manpack and AN/PRC-152 handheld radio systems and field support services as needed to address requirements for next-generation tactical communications. The contract is part of the Capital Equipment Replacement Program and represents an interim step in the modernization of the SOCOM tactical radio inventory.
"Harris Falcon radios will deliver transformational communication capabilities for SOCOM missions around the world," said George Helm, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. "Our Falcon III family provides enhanced situational awareness by providing a system solution that meets the need for integrated tactical communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The radios also deliver secure network connectivity to operators from anywhere in the world. Falcon III also is fully interoperable with other products developed under the Joint Tactical Radio System.
The AN/PRC-117G is the first NSA Type-1 certified wideband manpack radio system. The AN/PRC-117G enables dismounted and vehicular warfighters to communicate via voice, video and data in real time. The wideband capabilities of the radio support network-enabled missions such as collaborative chat, video, e-mail, biometric enrollments and more from the field. The radio provides the highest level of information assurance connectivity to tactical units via NSA-certified High Assurance Internet Protocol Equipment encryption. Harris has shipped more than 20,000 AN/PRC-117G radios to U.S. and allied forces such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, other NATO countries and Australia. The AN/PRC-117G is the first radio to receive NSA Type-1 certification to operate the Soldier Radio Waveform, developed by the JTRS Joint Program Executive Office.
The AN/PRC-152A offers tactical users the broadest set of capabilities in any handheld radio. Wideband networking capabilities are initially provided by the Harris Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform (ANW2). The Soldier Radio Waveform will be added to the radio later this year. The AN/PRC-152A also hosts SINCGARS, VHF/UHF Line-of-Sight, HaveQuick, IW for tactical satellite communications and other combat net radio waveforms. This makes the AN/PRC-152A the only Type-1 certified wideband networking handheld radio that is also fully interoperable with deployed DoD radios.
Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-152(C) multiband, multi-mode handheld tactical radios provide portable line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight voice and data communications. The AN/PRC-152(C) is the most widely deployed JTRS Software Communications Architecture-certified handheld radio, with more than 160,000 units shipped to U.S., NATO and other allied forces worldwide.