Manpack radios to slim down

摘要

The Army is moving forward with a fresh round of acquisitions for its multichannel portable Manpack radio. A request for proposals, scheduled to be released at press time, will seek a lighter version of the radio and will be structured to open up a broader marketplace of potential vendors. The Army already has purchased 5,326 handheld, small form fit Manpack radios and fielded them to two 101st Airborne Division Brigade Combat Teams. The radio serves as a network bridge, allowing lower-echelon devices to connect to the Mobile User Objective Satellite network and to the Army's network backbone through the Soldier Radio Waveform and Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System waveforms.