[SatNew] General Dynamics C4 Systems and Rockwell Collins announced they have completed production of 1,700 of the Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) program AN/PRC-155 Manpacks under current Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) orders.
The Manpack remains the only NSA-certified, two-channel manpackable form factor radio available today utilizing government-owned waveforms. Army warfighters begin to deploy with this latest capability before the end of the year.
Together, General Dynamics C4 Systems and Rockwell Collins have delivered 1,700 radios against the LRIP orders totaling 3,826. Production for these orders is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
"This is the most rigorously tested radio in the Army's arsenal and we are proud to continue to put the big Army network into the hands of our soldiers, significantly improving their operational effectiveness and safety," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems.
"With the AN/PRC-155 Manpack networking radio, soldiers can be confident they will have access to lifesaving voice and data communications," said Phil Jasper, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Rockwell Collins. "The hundreds of Iowa employees involved with this effort look forward to delivering the balance of these radios, making our soldiers more capable and more secure."
The Manpack has undergone extensive Program of Record testing and evaluation and, through this rigorous, government-witnessed and controlled regimen, the radio has consistently advanced in capability, reliability and operational suitability. The current program of record calls for General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins to compete for the building of identical radios in full-rate production.
The Manpack bridges networks—legacy to future, lower to upper echelons and unclassified to classified guard—allowing everyone, from the command center to the soldier on the edge of the battlefield, to stay connected. Earlier this year, the Manpack radio successfully transmitted voice and data communications to the orbiting MUOS satellite. This was the first time that any military radio communicated with the MUOS space-ground network, which will ultimately extend the reach of the soldiers' network to even the most isolated locations.