In September, U.S. Special Operations Command awarded the SOF Tactical Communications (STC) contract to build a new specialized handheld tactical radio for special operations forces. The selected STC handheld radio is the direct result of many years of investment to achieve what might have been stretch requirements even three years ago.
The Harris STC radios are designed to operate in harsh environments and meet rigorous requirements: They’re small, lightweight, multiband and multifunction with multi-mission capability to enable teams to communicate over multiple channels simultaneously with an integrated Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module GPS receiver. The Harris STC will provide the ability to receive ISR full-motion video and signals-based threat information. The radios will have built-in backward interoperability to communicate over legacy networks and will be upgradable to integrate new capabilities as requirements evolve.
The STC’s impressive array of capabilities is an achievable reality that is the result of persistent innovations in myriad radio components: chip design, software, battery life, power consumption and antennas, to name a few. I can only speak to Harris, but the advancements we make in tactical radios benefit greatly from commercial cellular technologies, particularly in making components smaller and power efficient.
In the commercial market, consumers expect to be wowed and companies are pressured to deliver products with ever-impressive capabilities, improved performance and smaller form factors. It takes a huge investment to bring a handheld device to market, but companies know that the market will reward success with robust sales.
While the government customer has a different dynamic, there are some shared fundamentals, mainly the notion that companies will invest their own funds if they believe that the market exists for the innovations they develop. That commercial business model is more evident today than ever before, thanks to the foresight of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall and the willingness of Army leadership to embrace a new way of acquiring technology.
The competitively procured STC handheld radio is the latest example of this effective model for technology acquisitions executed by SOCOM and being adopted by the Army leadership. Other recent programs including the Mid-tier Networking Vehicular Radio, Rifleman and the HMS Manpack procurement currently underway likewise benefit from this shift in purchasing models.
While it’s not easy to keep up with the customers’ relentless demands for even more capabilities, lighter form factors, more power and greater performance, industry will continue to innovate when it sees the potential return on its investment. Most importantly, the big winner is the war fighter who benefits by having ready access to the most capable technologies that industry can deliver.
Maj. Gen. (USA, Ret.) Dennis Moran is the vice president of government business development for Harris Corporation.
