Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received orders totaling $81 million for its Falcon III® AN/PRC-117G wideband manpack tactical radios from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The radios will allow USSOCOM to broadly deploy Type-1 secure wideband tactical communications and ISR capabilities.

The orders are part of a new IDIQ contract awarded to Harris to support USSOCOM's Capital Equipment Replacement Program. This program represents the initial phases of the modernization of the SOCOM tactical radio inventory. Under terms of the contract, Harris also will provide its Falcon III® AN/PRC-152A wideband handheld radio, a wideband solution for dismounted users.

“Harris Falcon III radio systems will provide unique capabilities to communicate by Type-1 secure voice, video and wideband data,” said George Helm, President, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications.

“The combat-proven Falcon III® family provides a complete solution for the emerging requirements of the tactical network for wireless, secure, high-data rate communications. The result is improved command and control and situational awareness through better informed warfighters,” Helm added.

The AN/PRC-117G provides USSOCOM with a robust upgradeable platform that enables the addition of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities such as video.

The AN/PRC-117G is the first NSA Type-1 certified wideband manpack radio system. It 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 U.S. 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 HAIPE certification to operate the Soldier Radio Waveform, developed by the JTRS Joint Program Executive Office.