The U.S. Marine Corps has selected Falcon III AN/PRC-160 high-frequency (HF) portable radios from L3Harris to replace legacy L3Harris HF radios. The $50 million follow-on delivery order is part of the Navy Portable Radio Program five-year IDIQ contract received in 2017 and is part of the Marines’ High Frequency Radio II modernization program. The HF radios provide beyond line-of-sight (LOS) terrestrial communications in environments in which satcom systems are not functional.
These latest HF radios provide 10 times the throughput of legacy portable HF radio systems and meet National Security Agency (NSA) crypto-modernization standards. The radios feature a software-defined-radio (SDR) architecture that simplifies upgrades and enables interoperability across U.S. and coalition forces. “The AN/PRC-160 delivers the security and resilience the Marine Corps needs for its tactical radio modernization programs, while providing unmatched capability for Marines on the battlefield,” said Dana Mehnert, president, Communication Systems, L3Harris. “These radios provide high-speed, long-range HF communications that meet the Marine Corps’ demanding program of record requirements.”