The US Army has placed a second full-rate production order with Collins Aerospace for AN/PRC-162 ground radios for its Handheld, Manpack, and Small Form Fit (HMS) program.
The order supports the command’s communication network modernization.
It will enable interoperability with legacy waveforms such as L3Harris’ SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System), and Trellisware’s TSM and WREN (Warrior Robust Enhanced Network).
“Ensuring warfighters can reliably communicate across multiple waveforms on the battlefield has been our priority for decades, and is even more critical to the success of JADC2,” Collins Aerospace Vice President and General Manager Ryan Bunge said.
“We remain committed to delivering advanced communications capabilities to the Army that are not only feature-rich, but also provide streamlined installation and lower integration costs,” he added.
In 2019, the US Army awarded Collins Aerospace a $12.7 billion maximum firm-fixed-price contract to deliver the PRC-162s.
“Success in today’s multi-domain battlespace depends heavily on secure and reliable communications,” Collins Aerospace Mission Systems President Phil Jasper said at the time.
The contract has an estimated completion date of March 2026.
AN/PRC-162 Ground Radio
The AN/PRC-162 is part of Collins Aerospace’s TruNet two-channel networked communications ground radio family.
AN/PRC-162 connects through narrowband and wideband waveforms, high-speed mobile ad hoc networked communications, point-to-point data, voice, next-generation SATCOM, and the latest in-theater IP-based waveform communications.
It will provide the latest tactical satellite communications through the integration of MUOS (mobile user objective system).
The radio has an increased power output, longer battery life, and improved signal sensitivity.
