US Army places another IMBITR order
Thales two-channel handheld radio underwent operational tests with US Army in January 2021.
Thales has obtained its third delivery order from the US Army to provide the two-channel AN/PRC-148D Improved Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (IMBITR) under the Army Leader Radio programme.
This brings the number of IMBITR radio orders to more than 6,000, Thales noted on 26 January. About 4,800 IMBITR radios are operationally deployed to support the Security Force Assistance Brigade and Infantry Brigade Combat Team/Stryker Brigade Combat Teams.
Thales provided IMBITR to multiple operationally deployed units to generate soldier feedback for testing and risk reduction prior to Operational Test and Evaluation by the US Army in January 2021.
‘Important capability feedback from Soldier Touch Points – both as a standalone radio as well as a device integrated into the ITN architecture – was highly positive affirming IMBITR’s ability to provide cutting-edge tactical communications for mounted or dismounted soldiers,’ the company claimed.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that IMBITR is a variant of the Multiband Inter-Intra Team Radio and the first two-channel handheld networking radio that embeds the Tactical Scalable MANET waveform.
Thales was awarded a low-rate initial production contract in December 2019 under the Army Leader Radio programme. Ultimately, up to 90,000 radio sets are planned to be acquired.
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