Army says e-commerce-like marketplace for tactical radio capabilities in the works
The model, called Common Hardware Software Solutions Tactical Radios (CHESS-TR), is currently in the “concept stage” within the Army Software Factory.
The model, called Common Hardware Software Solutions Tactical Radios (CHESS-TR), is currently in the “concept stage” within the Army Software Factory.
The Va.-based company won a “full and open” recompete of the original 2022 Material Fielding & Integrated Product Support (MF & IPS) contract to support the Army’s tactical radios.
The war in Ukraine, especially the lightning-fast EW struggle, has shown the value of subscription-style services for communications, L3Harris’s president of communication systems told reporters.
The telecommunications giant will now add Fenix’s Banshee and Talon MANET radios to its portfolio.
“The purchasing model that we currently use, which is buying and maintaining a large quantity of radios, may not be as flexible or frankly as affordable as it needs to be in order for us to solve the long-term challenge of making sure the Army can fight and win the nation's wars,” Gabe Camarillo, Army undersecretary, said.
The goal of the demonstration was to show how integrated technologies and joint connectivity can support warfighters by providing actionable data and increased situational awareness, the company said.
The radios recently "proved [their] worth" during a training exercise in Indo-Pacific, an Army spokesperson said.
Some $2.7 billion goes to network upgrades, more than any other Army priority area, according to acting acquisition chief Doug Bush.
Despite a 2018 mandate for “electronic protection” against jamming, there’s little data available showing how vulnerable systems are, said EW director David Tremper.
New radios offer dramatically greater range, clarity, & data — once soldiers and leaders figure out how best to use them.
Explore how networked warfare, AI, and 3D-printed drones are reshaping US Indo-Pacific strategy.
"The technical goal of MixComm’s work with DARPA under this effort is to try and simultaneously push the bandwidth, efficiency, and linearity of millimeter wave (mmWave) power amplifiers," said DARPA's Tim Hancock. "This has direct applicability to 5G."
How do you get targeting data from satellite to howitzer in less than 20 seconds, on a tactical network that was never designed to do that? You improvise, Maj. Gen. Peter Gallagher told me.
Since World War II, every airdrop has been a well-armed leap of faith into the unknown. A new tactical wireless network could change that.
Next month, the Air Force will start rapid-fire field tests of new network tech, including a long-delayed secure datalink between its two stealth fighters.