CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Rockwell Collins has shown customers new radio systems to replace GRC-171 units used for ground-to-ground, ground-to-air and ship-to-shore communications.
The new systems, displayed during a GRC users day in Charleston, S.C,, are the 721S Fixed Site Ground radio and SMART Blade Radio.
The 721S radio is a drop-in replacement for the GRC-171 that takes only 5 minutes to install, weighs 60 percent less than its predecessor and offers updated technology.
The radio is fully interoperable with the legacy radios in use by coalition forces, offers remote control features for "lights out" and enables seamless co-site interference mitigation.
The radio also features Rockwell Collins' patented Clarity feature, which eliminates background noise in both transmit and receive modes.
The SMART Blade radio system features a smaller, V/UHF "blade" architecture enabling customers in the air traffic control community to upgrade existing facilities and greatly reduce the footprint of the existing GRC-171 based system.
"We received great customer feedback at the event," said Troy Brunk, senior director of Airborne and Fixed Site Communication Products.
"When we offer a simple drop-in upgrade like this for a proven product, our customers don't have to wait for additional system integration work to incorporate the new capability into their systems."
"As budget constraints change the defense marketplace in the United States and around the world, Rockwell Collins is seizing opportunities to cost effectively upgrade customer's existing equipment," said Brunk.
