Harris Corp. one of two vendors for multibillion dollar Army contract

Harris Corp.’s Communication Systems has received orders for more than 1,500 of its most advanced two-channel handheld radios.

Local Harris officials declined to discuss the value of the contract, but in a news release Monday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said that Harris was one of two vendors that will provide up to $3.9 billion worth of the new two-channel radios to fulfill the U.S. Army‘s needs.

The order, for 1,540 AN/PRC-163 radios and related equipment and services, is part of the Army’s two-channel Leader radio IDIQ contract.

“This well-earned contract will support jobs at Harris, in addition to boosting the entire Rochester-Finger Lakes economy. Harris has proven time and time again that it can make superior radios for the U.S. military and our allies around the world,” said Schumer. “I was proud to work on behalf of this world-class producer of radios, and will always fight for investments that both protect our troops and provide a shot in the arm to the Rochester-Finger Lakes economy.”

Harris officials said the Army award further extends its leadership in software-defined tactical communications.

“The AN/PRC-163 is the most advanced, software-defined handheld radio in the world today and will provide our warfighters and commanders with unprecedented capabilities, including enhanced levels of command and control and situational awareness,” said Dana Mehnert, president of Harris Communication Systems, in a statement issued Friday. “The award of the two-channel Leader radio contract is an important milestone in the modernization of the Army’s tactical network and Harris is honored to be part of it.”

The AN/PRC-163 allows users to send information up and down the chain of command as well as across the battlefield network backbone. It incorporates secure two-channel connectivity in a lightweight, easy to use, handheld rugged form factor.

The radio can transmit voice, data and situational awareness simultaneously through Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking applications, VHF/UHF line-of-sight and legacy satellite communication while offering a path to future software-only updates for Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), SATURN and other emerging waveforms, officials said.

“Senator Schumer’s longstanding support has been vital to Harris’ ability to deliver the industry’s most advanced tactical radios to our warfighters, and enabling us to maintain our strong workforce and overall presence in the Rochester community,” said Harris’ Chairman, President and CEO William Brown in the Schumer press release.

In May, Harris announced it had been awarded a five-year, up to $130 million contract to develop and deliver radios for the U.S. Air Force.

Harris is a $6 billion corporation with headquarters in Melbourne, Fla. The company employs 17,000 people and does business in 100 countries. Harris’ Communication Systems manufacturing center is on Jefferson Road in Henrietta, while its Space and Intelligence Systems segment, formerly Exelis Geospatial Systems, is in Rochester Tech Park in Gates. The company employs more than 3,600 people here.

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