Harris wins SOCOM award

Harris Corporation has announced that it has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a potential total value of $400 million to provide the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with next-generation communication capabilities. The company announced the news in an 18 April, 2012 statement.

Under the five-year IDIQ contract Harris will supply its Falcon III AN/PRC-117G manpack and AN/PRC-152 handheld radio systems, as well as field support services as needed to address requirements for next-generation tactical communications. The contract is part of the Capital Equipment Replacement Programme and represents an interim step in the modernization of the SOCOM tactical radio inventory.

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 US 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.