Mary-Louise Hoffman
The U.S. Army is scheduled to begin the process of awarding a potential 10-year contract for tactical radio systems in 2016 fiscal year.
The military service plans to choose multiple vendors for its Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit radio procurement initiative through a full and open competition, the Army said April 6.
“We are relying on our industry partners to help us simplify the network and make systems such as the manpack radio easier to use and more intuitive for soldiers,” said Col. James Ross, project manager for tactical radios at the Army.
Ross added the branch would create a marketplace to offer all interested developers a chance to participate in the competition.
The Army said it will pick HMS radio products for a planned laboratory and operational testing activity next fiscal year and expects full-rate production of the technology to start in FY 2017.
The branch aims to buy more than 65,000 manpack radios through 2032.
