ITT Exelis received National Security Agency (NSA) certifications for its SideHat and the Soldier Radio-Rifleman (SR-R) radios.

Certification allows the radios to operate up to the “SECRET” level and be fully integrated into the U.S. Army’s tactical communications network.

The SideHat radio hosts the U.S. Army standard Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) that operates in the UHF and L-Band frequency ranges and provides an affordable second channel solution to Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS) vehicular radio installations. The Exelis SideHat is also specifically designed for the vehicular electromagnetic and physical environment, delivering increased range compared to other solutions.

SideHat is designed to easily attach to SINCGARS, the primary tactical communications backbone for the U.S. Army. SINCGARS with SideHat provides a system solution with up to four-channels (2 SRW and 2 VHF). It provides dismounted soldiers the ability to communicate both voice and data to mounted soldiers in vehicles within a larger network.

SideHat has successfully completed multiple operational tests including Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) On-The-Move (OTM) at Fort Dix, New Jersey, the Air Assault Expeditionary Force and Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment at Fort Benning, Ga., the Bold Quest Exercise at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and the Network Integration Exercises at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

The Rifleman Radio is a software-defined handheld radio that provides the individual soldier with reliable, low-weight, high-capacity intra-squad voice and data communication in a self-forming and self-healing network.

“These certifications by the NSA of both the SideHat and Rifleman radios allows us to continue the Exelis tradition of providing value and cutting-edge solutions to the warfighter,” said Nick Bobay, President and General Manager of Exelis Night Vision and Tactical Communications Systems.

“With SideHat, we can leverage the Army’s large installed base of SINCGARS radios while adding a significant increase in operational capability at an affordable price point,” he added.