American firms Thales Defense and Security Inc. and L3Harris Technologies have been selected to compete for a $6.1 billion US Army contract to modernize Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) radios.
According to the US Department of Defense, the communication equipment will be configured to comply with National Security Agency cryptosecurity modernization requirements.
SINCGARS is a new set of combat net radios that provides primary command and control for infantry, armored, and artillery units.
It can transmit and receive voice and tactical data and record traffic messages while adhering to NATO interoperability requirements.
The communication system can be operated in a hostile environment with electronic counter-countermeasure technology. It is also designed to survive in a nuclear environment.
Work for the multibillion-dollar contract is expected to be complete by March 2032.
Prioritizing Communication Systems
The investment is part of a US Army effort to bolster its communication systems amid evolving battlefield scenarios.
Last month, the service tested its new mobile communications gear designed to improve the operational capabilities of armored units.
The equipment will reportedly address the “slow and clunky” communication between military units in the field and their command posts, making them more effective against adversaries.
The US Air Force has also contracted Space Micro to produce a laser communications pod, allowing secure communications between aircraft and orbital satellites.
The pod must be able to sit underneath a fighter aircraft and transmit up to 10 gigabits of data per second to allow US stealth aircraft to maintain secure high-bandwidth communications during combat operations.