Matthew Nelson
Harris has secured a $75M task order to update a tactical radio platform for the U.S. Marine Corps to access an ultra-high frequency satellite communications system.
The company said Monday updating USMC’s Falcon III AN/PRC-117G radios will help military users share data and talk to each other via the Mobile User Objective System when they perform missions in urban and high or low latitude areas.
USMC will also receive ancillary radio devices such as antennas designed to support satcom-on-the-move applications while users are connected to the MUOS satellite network. The military branch issued the task order under a potential $765M indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract awarded in 2017.
Dana Mehnert, president of Harris’ communication systems business, said 117G software updates will facilitate interoperability for the Marines, other Department of Defense users and allied forces.
Falcon III is a software-based manpack radio equipped with MUOS-ready hardware and designed to support simultaneous transmission of satcom data and voice communications.
Lockheed Martin developed MUOS for radio terminal users to connect into the Global Information Grid and the Defense Switching Network.
