Falcon gets the call from USMC
A US Army paratrooper secures an AN/PRC-163 radio to a Tactical Assault Panel while preparing for Exercise Swift Response 21 in Hungary, 8 May 2021. (Photo: US Army/Spc Giovanny Lopez)
Falcon IV software-defined multichannel radios will be integrated with HMMWVs and JLTVs under a new 10-year deal from the USMC.
L3Harris Technologies has received a $750 million IDIQ contract from the USMC for its Falcon IV AN/PRC-163 multi-channel handheld radio.
The company will supply radios, accessories and installation kits enabling the Falcon IV to be integrated with the HMMWV and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
The DoD noted in a 26 January announcement that Falcon IV will replace ‘legacy handheld systems’ that do not meet the National Security Agency 2024 cryptographic modernisation mandate.
L3Harris will complete work on the contract from Marine Corps Systems Command by January 2032.
Under a full-rate production contract awarded by the US Army in mid-2021 under its Leader Radio tactical data radio programme, L3Harris is also providing 2,498 Falcon IV radios.
These sets will be delivered to Infantry Brigade Combat Teams in the 25th Division, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker Brigade Combat Team (BCT).
Formerly known as the RF-335M-STC, the Falcon IV software-defined radio provides secure two-channel connectivity in a lightweight, handheld, rugged form factor.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the radio can simultaneously transmit voice, data and situational awareness through mobile ad hoc networking applications, VHF/UHF line-of-sight and legacy SATCOM.
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