Rochester, N.Y.—Harris Corporation is providing its JTRS-approved Falcon III AN/PRC-152 handheld radios to the U.S. Army to extend the communications capabilities of soldiers serving in mountainous and urban environments. The Army is installing Falcon III AN/PRC-152 radios in Shadow 200 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as part of a relay system to significantly extend the distance communication signals can travel. The radios provide critical aerial communication links for soldiers on the ground operating in obstructed line-of-sight environments.

The Army selected the Falcon III AN/PRC-152 after extensive performance testing and field evaluations involving several potential vendors.

“This new application underscores the multimode, multimission capabilities and very small size of the Falcon III AN/PRC-152,” said George Helm, vice president and general manager, U.S. Government Products, Harris RF Communications. “Using the communications relay enabled by this next-generation radio, soldiers are able to communicate over long distances, even in mountainous or urban terrain. Perhaps most significantly, the UAV-based AN/PRC-152 radios are providing critical communications links to a majority of the Army’s installed base of legacy radios, including SINCGARS.”

The multiband, multimission Falcon III AN/PRC-152 is the most widely deployed JTRS-approved radio, with more than 30,000 deployed around the world. In addition to SINCGARS capability, the radio provides ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) ground-to-ground line-of-sight communications, close-air support, tactical satellite communications and programmable encryption.

The AN/PRC-152(C) also serves as the handheld-based transceiver of the Falcon III AN/VRC-110, a high-performance, multiband vehicular radio platform that offers an immediately available JTRS-approved alternative to legacy SINCGARS radios.

Harris RF Communications Division is a leading supplier of secure voice and data communications products, systems, and networks to military, government, and commercial organizations worldwide.