SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense has ordered JTRS HMS radios from General Dynamics C4 Systems of Arizona.
The initial production order for 6,250 AN/PRC-154 Joint Tactical Radio System Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit Rifleman radios and 100 and Manpack AN/PRC-155 radios is worth about $56.4 million.
The award includes expenses for non-recurring startup costs, accessories, training, related equipment and supplies.
The JTRS HMS networking radios are the first ground-domain radios that will be fielded by the U.S. military that meet the full suite of JTRS requirements.
Department of Defense documents indicate that the U.S. Army plans to purchase more than 190,000 Rifleman and approximately 50,000 Manpack radios, the company reported.
JTRS HMS Rifleman radios will enable soldiers on the battlefield to have secure, mobile voice, video and data communications capabilities that are similar to those available through commercial cellular networks.
"The Rifleman radio, enabled by the Soldier Radio Waveform, will be the first secure tactical radio to extend the network down to the individual soldier, significantly improving their safety and mission effectiveness," said Chris Brady, a vice president of General Dynamics C4 Systems. "The two-channel Manpack radio bridges Rifleman networks to both legacy and future high-level command networks so everyone in the force is on the same page."
The initial 100 Manpack radios will be used for further operational testing to support full-rate production.
For the LRIP order, General Dynamics and Thales Communications will manufacture the Rifleman radios while General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins will build the Manpack radios.
General Dynamics C4 Systems is prime contractor for the JTRS HMS program. The JTRS HMS team includes BAE Systems, Rockwell Collins and Thales Communications.
