SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. 3 Oct. 2008. Officials at General Dynamics C4 Systems demonstrate the networked-communications capability of their Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) radios in recent government-run Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) field tests.

The tests have proved interoperability, range, video transmission, and networking abilities. Each of those capabilities is critical to accomplishing the Department of Defense's transformational objectives of increasing connectivity among warfighters and military units.

General Dynamics C4 Systems is the prime contractor for the JTRS HMS program.

"The results of these tests validate that JTRS HMS will transform the battlefield by bringing secure wideband communications and situational awareness to dismounted soldiers at the front of the fight," says U.S. Army Col. Daniel Hughes, Ground Domain program manager for the JTRS Joint Program Executive Office.

Characterized by their small, light and power-efficient design, HMS radios work for close-combat tactical communication and are easier for soldiers to carry or wear compared to currently deployed legacy radios. They can also be embedded in new lightweight sensors, robots, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The HMS radios all have the same core design but take on different functionality and physical shape depending on the unique mission, General Dynamics officials say.

A recent field experiment at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., featured a 2-channel Manpack HMS radio exceeding a 20-kilometer range requirement test and transmitting voice and data over rugged terrain and rough conditions. The Manpack HMS radio is also part of an ongoing field experiment in Lakehurst, N.J. Using the new Soldier Radio Waveform to format information, the Manpack HMS radio successfully has transmitted voice, video, data, and messages to 25 nodes simulating soldiers operating within a single network.

The HMS radios also are achieving other key JTRS requirements, such as communicating with existing, Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) radios, transmitting video while embedded in unmanned aerial vehicles, and communicating with radios mounted in mobile ground vehicles.

The JTRS HMS 1-channel radio for ground soldiers, the Small Form Fit – C (SFF-C) Version 1, or "Rifleman Radio," is scheduled for user evaluation by the U.S. Army's Evaluation Task Force at Fort Bliss, Texas, next month.

General Dynamics will also demonstrate the HMS radios' networking capability at the Association of the United States Army's (AUSA) annual meeting next week in Washington.