U.S. Army orders 13,000 more JTRS HMS Rifleman radios

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., 18 Aug. 2012. The U.S. Army has placed an order with General Dynamics C4 Systems for an additional 13,000 Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) handheld, manpack, small form fit (HMS) AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radios and accessory kits. This is the second order placed by the Army for PRC-154 Rifleman radios, bringing the number of radios ordered by the government to more than 19,000. The new order is valued at approximately $53.9 million.

Both the JTRS HMS PRC-154 Rifleman and two-channel AN/PRC-155 Manpack networking radios are planned for inclusion in the Army’s Capability Set 13, which is to be delivered to Infantry Brigade Combat Teams beginning in October 2012. Capability Set 13 delivers a package of network components, associated equipment and software to soldiers, enabling networked voice and data capabilities to reach the tactical edge, even while units are moving across the battlefield.

The PRC-154 Rifleman radio enables soldiers on the battlefield to have mobile voice, video and data communications capabilities similar to those available through commercial cellular networks. The two-channel PRC-155 Manpack radio demonstrates all three transformational government waveforms: the Soldier Radio Waveform, the Wideband Networking Waveform and the Mobile User Objective System satellite-communications waveform. It is also interoperable with legacy waveforms such as SINCGARS.

General Dynamics and Thales Communications will manufacture the Rifleman radios for this contract.