Harris Corporation Falcon III Manpack Radio Successfully Communicates With MUOS Satellite Constellation

Highlights:
• Harris wideband radio receives signals from new military communications satellite constellation.
• System provides users with cellular telephone-like service and additional bandwidth.
• Reflects proven nature of Harris' commercial business model in tactical communications.

Harris Corporation's Falcon III AN/PRC-117G multiband manpack radio has successfully communicated with the new Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite constellation. MUOS is a next-generation military satellite communications system designed to provide U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) users with enhanced cellular telephone-like capabilities through tactical radios.

Harris demonstrated third-generation wireless compatibility with the MUOS constellation during a recent high-latitude experiment over the North Pole. The Falcon III radio received and displayed MUOS satellite transmissions during the experiment, demonstrating the viability of MUOS terminals in polar regions, which have been underserved by legacy military UHF satellite communications.

"Harris is fully committed to delivering MUOS capability to the U.S. warfighter," said George Helm, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. "The test results validate our advanced capabilities and speed in porting, certifying and deploying complex U.S. government waveforms. The AN/PRC-117G can enable the DoD to address the anticipated shortage of terminals to deliver the significant capabilities that the MUOS constellation offers to the end user."

The high latitude experiment was led by Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor to the U.S. government for the MUOS satellite system. The experiment involved repeated transmissions between the MUOS system and the Harris radio onboard a cargo plane flying from Alaska to the North Pole and back. The experiment's success follows favorable results in a similar test during the summer in U.S. government testing labs in San Diego.

Harris is able to deliver the MUOS waveform to users through a software upgrade to the widely fielded and combat proven Falcon III AN/PRC-117G manpack radio platform. Of those wideband radios already deployed to users, more than 30,000 are ready to host the MUOS waveform software. Providing MUOS capability through a software upgrade would enable the DoD to quickly and cost effectively fill an expected gap in the availability of radio terminals capable of communicating with MUOS satellites. The upgrade would allow users to immediately deploy the new capability without having to acquire and field new radio terminals.

Under a separate initiative, Harris also is building 10 unfurlable mesh reflector antennas for the MUOS constellation as part of the Lockheed Martin team — two per satellite. These antennas significantly increase the number of users and traffic on the system and provide for legacy SATCOM operations.

Harris RF Communications is the leading global supplier of secure radio communications and embedded high-grade encryption solutions for military, government and commercial organizations. The company's Falcon family of software-defined tactical radio systems encompasses manpack, handheld and vehicular applications. Falcon III is the next generation of radios supporting the U.S. military's Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) requirements, as well as network-centric operations worldwide. Harris RF Communications is also a leading supplier of assured communications systems and equipment for public safety, utility and transportation markets — with products ranging from the most advanced IP voice and data networks to portable and mobile single and multiband radios.

About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5B of annual revenue and about 14,000 employees — including 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications products, systems, and services. For more information, visit harris.com.