Harris has designed the RF-7800S SPR Falcon-III radio to perform voice and data communications at soldier level. This UHF radio includes a USB port to enable thirdparty devices to be connected, and has two watts of output power © Thomas Withington
Other orders for the AN/PRC-117G have been forthcoming from Australia which ordered this radio, together with Harris’ AN/PRC-152A handheld wideband networking radios both of which are equipping the Australian Army (see below). Alongside SINCGARS and HAVEQUICK-I/II, this radio can carry the APCO-25 waveform which links it to the radio communications used by first responders in the United States; a useful feature when the military is called upon to assist civilian authorities. Meanwhile, in November 2014, Canada ordered $159 million worth of AN/PRC-117G handheld radios and Harris RF-7800H HF/VHF manpack transceivers. This latter radio can perform data communications at a rate of up to 120kbps, and includes the company’s
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2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium
proprietary Citadel encryption available in three configurations which can either be configured for the customer by Harris or by the customer themselves. In September 2014, Harris announced that it had won a contract worth $19 million to supply up to 1500 AN/PRC152A handheld radios to the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. Carrying V/UHF traffic, the radio employs the HAVEQUICK-I/II and SINCGARS waveforms. This is in addition to Harris’ proprietary HPW (High Performance Waveform). An IP enabled version of the HPW, plus the APCO P25 waveform, are also available to customers as options. Although SINCGARS, HAVEQUICK-I/ II, APCO P25, the HPW and IP HPW are all narrowband waveforms, the AN/PRC-
152A can accommodate the SRW and the Airborne Networking Waveform (ANW), the latter of which equips the USAF for air-to-air communications. Furthermore, Harris announced in December 2014 that it had secured a contract from the Philippines worth $18 million to cover the supply of the company’s RF-7800V VHF handheld radio which will be teamed with the firm’s RF7800I vehicle intercom system, equipping vehicles used by the Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas (Philippines Army). Harris did not reveal the quantity of radios to be supplied, or when deliveries will conclude, although it did tell the author that deliveries commenced this year. This radio/vehicle intercom combination will be integrated onboard the BAE Systems M113A1/